Yass Valley residents have until December 13th to have their say on rural health services to an NSW Parliamentary Inquiry.
The Legislative Council Committee includes The Hon Greg Donnelly MLC Australian Labor Party (Chair) The Hon Emma Hurst MLC Animal Justice Party (Deputy Chair) The Hon Lou Amato MLC Liberal Party, Ms Cate Faehrmann MLC The Greens, The Hon Wes Fang MLC The Nationals, The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC Liberal Party and The Hon Walt Secord MLC Australian Labor Party.
The inquiry will look at submissions on outcomes for patients living in rural, regional and remote NSW and compare with other local health districts across metropolitan NSW.
Yass Hospital Community Consultation Committee Chair, Jill McGovern is encouraging residents who see a need for change, to make a submission.
“I welcome the enquiry and note that it will examine planning systems, methodologies and projections that are used by NSW Health in determining the provision of rural health services. I have found that current methodologies are inadequate and no longer give an accurate assessment of the health needs for the Yass Community. Feedback from the Yass community is crucial to a renewed focus on current health needs here,” Ms McGovern stressed.
The inquiry will look at submissions on service availability, barriers to access and quality of services; patient experience, wait-times and quality of care. How capital and recurrent funding is allocated in rural area hospitals, staffing challenges, what government initiatives have been undertaken to address them, access to oncology treatment and palliative care and an examination of the impact of rural health and hospital services on indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Ms McGovern says the current funding model needs investigating.
“The National Health Reform Agreement states: “Commonwealth will fund 45% of efficient growth from July 2014, increasing to 50% from July 2017.” and “Block Funded Hospitals: Commonwealth will fund 45% of efficient cost from July 2014, increasing to 50% from July 2017″. However, according to the Annual Report 2018, of the National Health Funding Pool, the Commonwealth funded 43.8% of hospitals throughout Australia for Activity Based Hospitals and 33.8% for Block Funded Hospitals during that year. So who is picking up the shortfall in funding?” Ms McGovern queried.
Yass Hospital has been an integral part of our community for well over 100 years. It was the 6th hospital established in NSW, which was only possible through the efforts and money of the people of Yass during early colonial times. Hamilton Hume and civic elders built their own hospital and ran it through a hospital board until the late 1900s.
Ms McGovern emphasised the need for Yass voices to be heard “I believe that incredible community spirit is very much a feature of our town today as we face our challenges of a growing population and diminishing resources. People’s stories about their experiences at Yass Hospital are important to guide the enquiry.”
To make a submission, visit the link: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-details.aspx?pk=2615#tab-submissions
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