'This rancid government': Northern Rivers not impressed with NSW Health

I have to say that few people in the Northern Rivers region would be surprised with the observations on regional hospitals found in the Garling Report released this week.

The Northern Star reported:

Commissioner Garling said he was told the North Coast Area Health Service got about $70 million less each year than it should under the current funding formula and the inequity had been in place since the 1980s.“We should be getting our fair share,” Dr Pezzutti said.He said the money should be shared out among the health services based on their demographics.“Each area has a certain number of aged people, disabled people, mentally ill, poor, rich and tourists,” the doctor said.“It’s a complicated formula, but we should be getting more funding.”Instead of spending more money, the Garling report said greater efficiencies should be achieved. Dr Pezzutti said the health service could be more efficient but it would cost money.The report recommended setting up four new bodies to improve the quality and effectiveness of the health workforce.“If the government does not provide additional funds for this, it will have to come out of the current funding,” he said.“It is clear they have got into trouble this year already.”

While in an 'editorial' in The Daily Examiner on Saturday David Bancroft put matters very bluntly:

Now, on top of being short-changed $70 million a year, a razor gang is making its way around the region identifying where it can cut 400 full-time equivalent jobs.

There is already thought that Grafton Base Hospital's high dependency unit and maternity unit might be at risk.

These are the cuts the health service simply cannot bear.

And we, as taxpayers and users of the health system, should not tolerate them.

We need to demonstrate at public rallies in Grafton and Maclean today our support for improved, not reduced, health services.

Public pressure might, just might, convince this rancid government to change its mind.
(The Daily Examiner, 29 November 2008, page 12)

The Federal Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, in the same issue of The Daily Examiner did not back away from supporting the Northern Rivers community:

"Its clear locals need better services and I support them in their expressed concerns about the proper delivery of health and hospital services in our area," Ms Saffin said.

We need more health services and staff across the Northern Rivers, and for anyone to suggest that less is better for us is nonsense.

"This is not the time for cutting front line positions in health care."

The North Coast has known for a long time that state governments tend to ignore us.

When in power the Liberals and Nationals appear to believe the region does not have to be courted because it is seen as a Nationals stronghold.
Likewise, the Labor Party seems to believe that the region deserves a minimum of serious attention for that very same reason.

Both groups, in their profound ignorance, failing to consider the altered political demographics that sea and tree changers have brought into the mix and both ignoring their responsibilities to equally distribute a fair share of government funding and services regardless of the political imperative.

For all major political parties in New South Wales the large metropolitan centres have always come first simply because the sheer weight of their voter numbers are seen as more important to the outcome on election day.

The Rees Government should remember that regional and rural seats matter and if enough voters within them are dissatisfied with health care, then his government will fall at the next state election.