Crisis in Griffith Health Care
Independent Member for Murray Helen Dalton says the ongoing health disaster currently experienced across rural NSW has passed crisis point.
She said GPs and health workers are facing burnout as they shoulder the burden of chronic staffing shortages which are so severe, they are impacting patient care and the mental wellbeing of our care givers.
“My office is constantly contacted by overwhelmed health staff who are at breaking point. If nothing changes, we will have no health services left in the bush, it is really getting that bad,” Mrs Dalton said.
She said there have been times in Griffith when medical clinics have only had one doctor on duty, while others have had to close doors, because there are no doctors at all.
Patients are waiting weeks just to get an appointment.
“When is government going to stop playing lip service and address this issue?
“We need to get more general practitioners out into rural areas, and it has to be now,” she said.
A recent Four Corners documentary, Breaking Point, acknowledged the crisis in Griffith with one nurse stating health workers have nothing left to give.
Dr Theva from Your Health Griffith said his clinic needs an additional four full time GPs just to manage patient load and in the 15 years he has worked in Griffith, he has never seen a shortage so bad. He personally hasn’t had a holiday for three years.
Dr Marion Reeves has a nine-week patient wait and 20-30 people on a daily wait list.
She said lengthy delays in Visa processing are contributing to the GP shortage.
“This chronic shortage is not just impacting GPs. Our nursing staff are also struggling under increasing workloads as nurses leave the industry in droves,” Mrs Dalton said.
“I don’t know what it is going to take to get government to acknowledge the dire state of our health system, but we do need a complete overhaul, starting with the appointment of an Independent Health Regulator to help navigate through this crisis.
“I am willing to work with any level of government state or federal, to look at any solutions that will alleviate this issue,” Mrs Dalton said.