APA (NSW) Newsletter Issue 15
RURAL, REGIONAL & REMOTE HEALTH
Any Paramedic who has worked in rural, regional, or remote areas of NSW has their share of stories about the quality and delivery of healthcare in these regions.
communities.
Over the last couple of months, a great number of you That’s why the Parliamentary completed our online survey to Inquiry into Health outcomes tell us about your experiences and access to health and working in non-metropolitan hospital services in rural, NSW. We compiled your regional and remote New South responses into a final report, Wales is such a significant which we formally submitted to opportunity. the Parliamentary Inquiry this
Too often, these stories are of a system failing to meet the needs of regional people: whether it’s insufficient services at local hospitals, demand The title for our submission, taken from one increasing faster survey response than staffing numbers, healthcare workers fatigued The Inquiry presents by routine excessive overtime, a rare chance to bring or Paramedics being asked to all sides of politics leave communities uncovered together to take an inwhile completing lengthy depth and structural transfers to nearby towns. look at the way regional is funded and functions. Tackling these challenges can seem dauntingly complex And, because of the when they are caused by unique place we widespread, long-term issues; occupy within NSW's and when any solution seems healthcare system, the to demand a serious state-wide voices of Paramedics re-think of how we’re serving are absolutely essential and resourcing our regional to this process. Vice President Scott Beaton appeared on a 60
“Patients are dying, and Paramedics will too soon if this isn’t fixed” -
Minutes special to talk about regional healthcare
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