Nathan Hagarty has slammed the Perrottet Government over what he says is its failure to invest in health in South Western Sydney.
The Labor councillor says the latest quarterly statistics from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) show disturbing trends across a number of health measures for the South Western Sydney Local Health District compared to the same period last year.
These include:
- 51.2 percent increase in patients leaving emergency departments without, or before, completing treatment;
- 32.2 percent increase in elective surgery waiting lists;
- 31 day increase in median wait times for semi-urgent elective surgeries; and
- 176 day increase in median wait times for non-urgent elective surgeries.
“The latest figures from the BHI report are a scandal. It proves what many of us have experienced first hand – we’re waiting longer to get quality health care for ourselves and our loved ones,’’ says Hagarty, pictured above in front of the old Liverpool hospital.
“The results for April to June this year show 11,085 people left local emergency departments without treatment or completing treatment, up over 50 percent on the same period last year.
“Tragically, people are giving up and walking away from our health system.’’
Councillor Hagarty has put the blame squarely on the Perrottet Government and points to the data as further evidence that the region was being left behind.
“With the worst of the pandemic now behind us, once again, the Liberal State Government has forgotten about the health and wellbeing of people in South Western Sydney,’’ he said.
“I can’t fault the health professionals – they have gone above and beyond, especially during the pandemic. But we’ve had a broken health system for many years due to a decade of underinvestment in our health system.
“We need genuine investment in hospitals, an expansion of quality public health facilities into the South West Growth Area, and decent pay and conditions for our stretched and exhausted health professionals,’’ he said.
The latest BHI report and statistics can be found here: www.bhi.nsw.gov.au/BHI_reports/healthcare_quarterly/Apr-Jun2022
