Money for Local Hospitals

LABOR has announced they will provide more money to the Scott Memorial Hospital in Scone and Murrurundi’s Wilson Memorial Hospital to address capital works and more nursing care as part of a state wide plan to improve health services in small rural communities.

A $250 million fund for country hospitals and an additional $50 million for for capital works at Multi-Purpose Services.

Melanie Dagg, Upper Hunter candidate for Country Labor said the Nationals have let down NSW regional hospitals.

“The Scott Memorial Hospital is included as one of the first hospitals to have the new minimum nurse staffing level guaranteed if Labor is elected later this month,” said Ms Dagg.

“As part of the nurse to patient ratios plan, there will be three nurses appointed on every shift instead of two, at small country hospitals and MPSs,” she said.

“This commitment shows that Labor will always put local health and education funding first – we will never waste billions of dollars on vanity stadium projects in Sydney like the Liberals and Nationals,” Melanie Dagg said.

Lee Watts, Upper Hunter candidate for the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party said she welcomed the news from Labor and the commitment from the Nationals for more nurses, but would lobby either major party in government to make good on their commitments.

“It is great that the major parties have agreed our local hospitals need more nurses, but neither of them have committed to the nursing ratios our nurses tell me they need to care for patients properly and that is what I will hold either government to account for,”said Ms Watts.

“Our local hospitals are category D which means Labor won’t apply the proper nursing ratios here, just ‘more’ nurses, like the Nationals and it’s not good enough that our communities and our hospitals are being treated as second rate,” she said.

“I am keeping track of all the promises they are making and regardless of who is in government, I will be making sure our community is treated fairly, not vague promises of ‘more’ nurses or money dedicated state wide that never quite reaches us,” Lee Watts said.