The Minns Labor Government is acting to deliver an extra 500 paramedics for regional, rural and remote NSW, a core regional health election pledge.
The NSW Government’s upcoming budget will deliver a $438.6 million for regional paramedics.
For 12 years the Liberals and Nations failed to invest in frontline health workers, leaving our regional paramedic workforce plagued with chronic shortages and unprecedented strain.
Today’s announcement from the Minns Labor Government is designed to address the unique challenges confronting our regional and rural health system, including the difficulties of remoteness and distance, as well as worker shortages.
Additional paramedics will help improve ambulance response times for life threatening callouts and medical emergencies and therefore, improved patient outcomes and experiences.
Longer ambulance response times because of a lack of highly skilled paramedics, was an issue raised in the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Rural and Regional Healthcare.
The Minns Labor Government’s boost to paramedics in the bush is just one measure in a comprehensive suite of reforms to rebuild our regional health workforce, including:
- Deploying more nurses and midwives to achieve safe staffing levels in our hospitals, including in our regional, rural and remote areas;
- Expanding the rollout of the single employer model program which will put more doctors in our regional general practices and hospitals;
- Doubling the rural health incentive scheme which provides financial and non-financial incentives for health workers to move to our regions;
- Rolling out study subsidies for health students and graduates, with a focus on those moving to the regions;
- Embracing virtual care, where safe and appropriate, to supplement the capacity of regional and rural health workers, ensuring patients in the bush can receive high quality care and treatment closer to home; and
- Embracing the Rural Preferential Recruitment pathway and the Rural Generalist Training Program which offer junior doctors rural health opportunities.
The Minns Labor Government remains committed to improving the accessibility and delivery of healthcare across rural and regional NSW.
At the same time, NSW is confronted with deteriorating fiscal conditions. In addition to record debt, the Liberals made more than $7 billion worth of promises they could not pay for, including not permanently funding 1,112 nurses and midwives working in NSW Hospitals.
The Minns Labor Government is making the careful and necessary decisions to address the holes left in the budget to ensure we can deliver the essential healthcare services our regions deserve.
Quotes attributable to Premier of NSW Chris Minns:
“After 12 years of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals of our regional health workforce, today we take another important step in the long road to rebuilding our regional health system.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:
“I have made improving access to healthcare in our regional, rural and remote communities is a ministerial priority of mine.
“I’ve always said that we will do this first by building an engaged, capable and supported health workforce in the bush.
“It will take time, but the Minns Labor Government is pursuing a comprehensive suite of reforms to rebuild our regional health system.”