Our paramedics and hospital staff are under enormous pressure due to the Berejiklian Government's inadequate resourcing of our vital health services.
Urgent action is required to address critical issues with our ambulance service, emergency departments and waiting times for surgery to ensure people are getting the medical attention they need.
Just recently our ambulance network went into complete crisis. People were left waiting for Ambulances for 45 minutes when they required urgent assistance.
Chronic underfunding and understaffing resulted in 60 triple zero calls coming in with only 14 Ambulances available to help.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported a patient waited 16 hours for an ambulance. This is simply appalling.
Ryan Park MP, Labor's Shadow Minister for Health, has rightfully called on the Berejiklian Government to urgently increase investment in NSW Ambulance, including fast-tracking recruitment.
The Health Services Union and our paramedics have also been calling for the Government to employ further staff; as they are constantly stretched to the limit and overwhelmed. We need to listen to our first responders who dedicate their lives to coming to our aid.
Lives should not be put at risk because of unacceptable understaffing.
Issues with our ambulance service will only increase over the winter months, as flu season worsens. The latest Bureau of Health Information statistics confirm that ambulance call-outs are at a record high.
For both Sutherland and St George, the time taken to reach urgent cases was shown to be longer than the NSW state wide median.
It is clear that the Berejiklian Government is not meeting the needs of the residents of the Sutherland Shire and St George when it comes to health.
At Sutherland Hospital emergency department only 67 per cent of patients started treatment on time and at St George Hospital only 64 per cent were treated on time.
It is essential that we see these numbers improve and people get their treatment started quickly. Sutherland and St George Hospitals are also lagging behind when it comes to waiting times for urgent elective surgeries.
Health workers have told Ryan Park MP and I, that they are completely overstretched. The Government's neglect and mismanagement of our health system must not continue. It is clear that the NSW health system is heavily strained and that further resources are needed to ensure the delivery of critical health services to our residents.
When people call triple zero for help, they should not be waiting for 45 minutes for an ambulance.
This is unacceptable when people are depending on crucial medical attention. Labor will continue to call on the Berejiklian Government to urgently commit further resources, it is vital that our communities can access essential health services when they need it most.
