NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard has confirmed his attendance at Helen Dalton's upcoming health forum, attending via videoconference.
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Member for Murray Helen Dalton has organised a Q&A style forum for May 13, addressing the state of regional and rural health care with a panel of experts and policymakers.
The panel includes Shadow Health Minister Ryan Park and Cate Faehrmann, a Greens MP and long advocate for healthcare. Both will be attending in person, while Mr Hazzard will be calling in.
Deniliquin GP Marion Magee and CEO of charity Rural and Remote Medical Services Ltd Mark Burdack will complete the panel, answering pre-screened questions from the community about healthcare.
Mrs Dalton said the main topics up for discussion will be the nursing and health worker crisis, barriers to recruitment, the rural transport rebates and bullying in the workplace.
"I'm getting several complaints every day on the state of rural health care," Mrs Dalton said.
"People in small towns are waiting up to two months to see a GP. They can't get into hospitals for emergency treatment when their lives are in danger."
"This should be a major election issue - I hope this forum puts it front and centre."
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The forum comes just days after the regional health inquiry released their results.
"The NSW Upper House Rural Health Inquiry outlined so many horror stories and systemic failings," said Mrs Dalton
"But the recommendations were weak and lacked urgency. The Government has been given six months to respond. We need action now."
Members of the public are welcome to attend, and encouraged to submit questions ahead of time. Attendance registrations or question submissions can be emailed to murray@parliament.nsw.gov.au.
The forum will be held at Griffith Regional Theatre on Friday, May 13. People are asked to be seated by 5.45pm, with the event running from 6pm to 7. The event will also be livestreamed.
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