Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke says she'll continue to fight for better health services for the Cootamundra electorate, after a meeting with NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association members last week.
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The members highlighted their concerns around unsafe staffing levels in public health facilities in Western and Murrumbidgee Local Health Districts, within the Cootamundra electorate.
Association organisers Tracey Coyte and Matt Doherty were joined by members from Cowra, Canowindra, Grenfell and Young at the meeting.
"The NSWNMA is focused on improving staffing levels and consequently patient care and safety in rural, regional and remote NSW," Tracey and Matt said.
"We are highlighting to communities how the current government's stance of refusing to introduce nurse-to-patient ratios across the state has created unsafe working conditions for nurses and midwives, and has made many of our public hospitals increasingly unsafe for patients seeking treatment. Inadequate staff numbers means every day, nurses and midwives are not able to give the level of care they know their local communities need and deserve.
"They are working excessive amounts of overtime due to low staff numbers and this is leading to burnout, fatigue and premature retirement from one of our most valued professions. The best, cost-effective solution to these issues is mandated, shift-by-shift ratios. Just like they have in Victoria and Queensland.
"Nurses and midwives need to have a reasonable number of patients to be able to give safe care. Patients also need to know that there are enough nurses and midwives on every shift to give the time and the safe clinical care that's required."
A parliamentary inquiry into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW received over 700 submissions, the NSWNMA says.
Public hearings are now taking place across the state.
Ms Cooke says she's following the inquiry closely.
"I thank the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association members for their time in meeting with me and raising the ongoing challenges they are facing," she said.
"Sourcing and retaining medical staff continues to be an issue across rural and regional NSW. This is a significant challenge, there are no easy solutions but we must work together to overcome it as a community.
"The government continues to invest to bolster numbers of nurses and midwives right across NSW and I will continue to fight for our fair share."
More on NSWNMA campaign here: www.nswnma.asn.au/saferhospitals
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