Premier Chris Minns admits there are still "major issues" facing many regional communities when it comes to healthcare and accessing medical services.
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The premier was at Dubbo on Friday and while he said funding from the last budget has helped major regional centres, more needs to be done to help smaller communities.
"It's very difficult and I want to be honest with communities right across NSW. This is one of the most profound challenges the state faces," he said.
"We've got an absolute labour crunch, particularly in medical services and health services across NSW. Doctors, in particular, for regional communities."
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Swathes of regional communities are struggling to find doctors and it's only expected to become more difficult given the national GP shortage is expected to reach 11,000 by the end of the decade.
While at Dubbo, the premier stated roughly $800 million was put aside in the last budget to help communities which have had difficulties finding staff.
![Premier Chris Minns (left) visited Dubbo Hospital while in the region last week. Picture by Amy McIntyre Premier Chris Minns (left) visited Dubbo Hospital while in the region last week. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/f626b9be-832b-46fa-b971-9c3bfac88050.JPG/r917_569_7540_4440_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A number of those are in the western area, and there was a desperate plea for help from health practitioners last year after a report into regional health found the industry was in crisis.
Damning report into health
Last year's report detailed harrowing situations where patients were left to die on bathroom floors, emergency departments were without doctors, and cooks and cleaners were made to work as carers.
In May 2021, members of the parliamentary committee conducting the inquiry visited Dubbo and heard Wellington residents were struggling to access healthcare with only one doctor at the local hospital, and key services at Parkes hospital had been closed.
Elsewhere, Gulgong woman Dawn Trevitt died unexpectedly from a gastrointestinal bleed in 2020 when she presented to Gulgong MPS and was treated by a doctor over teleconference owing to the fact there were no doctors available after hours.
Gulgong was without a GP for a number of months while Coolah lost a number of health workers and those in Collarenbri feared they would only have a doctor in town for one day a week after it was an option in one contract out for tender.
Premier Minns said the recent funding helped larger centres like Dubbo but added "for the next ring of communities out, we've still got major issues."
"We're looking at it very closely," he said.
"Money is part of it. But it's also about accommodation and attracting a next generation of doctors to relocate to regional NSW and, I guess, talk up the experience of being a regional doctor.
"In many ways that lived experience is very different to working in a metropolitan hospital because you come across a whole range of different procedures you have to be and are responsible for. For medical training, lived experience is potentially quicker."
![Premier Chris Minns said the health crisis is one "the most profound challenges" the state faces. Picture by Amy McIntyre Premier Chris Minns said the health crisis is one "the most profound challenges" the state faces. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/f248075c-40e9-40a6-a097-3b166300630b.JPG/r734_202_7467_4385_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The response
In May, the NSW government announced a select committee chaired by Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr to examine the implementation of the report's recommendations.
"Rural and regional healthcare is in crisis," Dr McGirr said.
"It is unacceptable that the life expectancy of those in the regions is less than those in metropolitan areas."
The committee will be able to examine the financial expenditure and performance of relevant government agencies and inspect healthcare settings in NSW and other relevant jurisdictions. It will deliver its final report to the NSW Parliament within two years of its first meeting.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park was at Dubbo in May and said at the time his main priority in implementing the recommendations from last year's damning report was filling staff vacancies.
"It's making sure that we have a laser-like focus on improving the workforce in western far western and regional and remote parts of NSW," he said.
"That's the biggest theme that came out of the regional and rural health inquiry and that starts from incentives. It starts with retainment. It starts with improving culture.
"And it also means we are supporting those clinicians, GPs, medical experts, those nurses - our healthcare workers on the ground."
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