News - Bega Merimbula Eden Bermagui Tathra Pambula

The Auditor General has confirmed Labor is failing to deliver for patients and medical staff on the Far South Coast according to the Member for Bega Andrew Constance.

In a scathing report, the Auditor General found for Greater Southern Area Health Service:

• Full time equivalent staff numbers fell by 500;

• Emergency triage performance worsened in categories two (imminently life threatening) and 3 (potentially life threatening);

• Emergency admissions performance decreased from 87 per cent in 2007-08 to 81 per cent in 2008-09;

• The timely payment of invoices continues to be an issue for the Service.

Although total trade creditors have decreased from $28.2 million to $22.9 million, the balance is still high.

“This is disgraceful," Mr Constance said.

"Heads should roll and this if further evidence why we need a change of Government in NSW after 16 years of Labor.

There is long litany of complaints from the Auditor General – which is unprecedented,” Mr Constance said.

“Labor has comprehensively failed in so many areas; from cutting staff including nurses; failing to pay bills on time; and worsening emergency department performance figures," he said.

" Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt has a lot of explaining to do.

“Medical professionals are carrying on under Labor’s rank incompetence and it’s only their good will that is holding the system together.

“Unlike Labor, a NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will listen to our clinicians and give them a key role in fixing our health system.

“We have committed to abolishing Labor’s failed Greater Southern Area Health Service and replacing it with smaller Health Districts with local boards which will include community members and clinicians from local health facilities making decisions about the services in their area.

“Nothing in NSW will change until there is a change of government in NSW,” Mr Constance said.