Rural, regional & remote health: survey outcomes & our submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry

RURAL, REGIONAL & REMOTE HEALTH

Any Paramedic who has worked communities. Over the last couple of in rural, regional, or remote months, a great number of you areas of NSW has their share That’s why the Parliamentary completed our online survey to of stories about the quality and Inquiry into Health outcomes tell us about your experiences delivery of healthcare in these and access to health and working in non-metropolitan regions. hospital services in rural, NSW. We compiled your regional and remote New South responses into a final report, Too often, these stories are of Wales is such a significant which we formally submitted to a system failing to meet the opportunity. the Parliamentary Inquiry this needs of regional people: whether it’s insufficient “Patients are dying, and Paramedics will services at local hospitals, too soon if this isn’t fixed” demand increasing faster -The title for our submission, taken from one than staffing survey response 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 Minutes special to talk about regional healthcare

How do underresourced hospitals impact Paramedics?

January. Here's some of the examples you gave in our survey:

Our submission included specific • No nearby dedicated mental health facility necessitating transports examples given by that take over three hours one way members about how problems within • Hospitals so poorly resourced one Paramedic described it as a regional healthcare “difficult decision to transport a patient to them” affect Paramedics and the provision of • Patients being held at local hospitals while being booked as Paramedic services. We a transfer rather than a major trauma, resulting in a delayed wanted to make sure response from Paramedics that, as well as showing the big picture, we • A Paramedic undertaking 8 long distance transports of 8 shifts, provied stories and totalling 2250km of driving details which are vivid, relatable, and hard to • A town which only has a GP every second week, who is also the ignore. on-call doctor for the hospital The full submission is available on our website; and avoid Paramedics undertaking network for Paramedics and that of the Parliamentary Inquiry unnecessary transports. an integrated system to allow (where you can also read for communication between submissions lodged by other Recommendation Four: emergency services. parties). Undertake a review looking at which local hospitals would What next? It includes the following six benefit most greatly from basic major recommendations for diagnostic tools (x-ray and CT), The Inquiry will consider how NSW should proceed with technicians who can utilise eviidence from all submissions restructuring healthcare to those tools, and dedicated before establishing ts own set better meet the needs of our mental health facilities. of recommended actions. regional communities: Recommendation Five: In the meantime, we will Recommendation One: Undertake a review of the continue to push for all of Update deployment modelling efficacy of the current call these changes, using the data to reflect 2020 demand, triaging system and referral we gathered to advocate for ensuring that ambulances are services. change in Parliament, the deployed as rostered. media, and internally with Recommendation Six: NSWA/NSW Health. Recommendation Two: Fund Invest in building a reliable dedicated ICP and ECP positions across regional, rural and remote NSW, while allowing for the workforce 93% of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed to undertake training, and that more ECP positions would benefit regional communities skills consolidation and maintenance locally. Recommendation Three: 94% agreed or strongly agreed that rural and Enhance Non-Emergency regional communities would benefit from more ICPs Patient Transport services to provide 24hour coverage, and 77% ‘disagreed’ or ‘strongly disagreed’ with the improve triaging and statement “I have adequate access to educators” consultation systems to