Committee Publishes First Report on Healthcare in Remote, Rural, and Regional NSW

Is healthcare in remote, rural, and regional NSW improving? A newly tabled report suggests that while progress is being made, signifcant challenges remain. The Legislative Assembly’s Select Committee on Remote, Rural, and Regional Health has released its frst report, focusing on efforts over the past two years to enhance the health workforce, workplace culture, and funding for programs and services in these areas.

“NSW Health has been working hard to deliver much-needed reforms,” said Committee Chair, Dr. Joe McGirr MP.

“During this inquiry, the Committee has observed their dedicated efforts to deliver better outcomes for the rural and regional communities that access their services. Despite these efforts, regional healthcare in NSW is the worst it’s been for many years in several key areas.”

The report highlights ongoing issues, including the crisis in rural general practice, reliance on costly shortterm locum doctors and agency staff in rural hospitals, and health staff being overstretched due to poor working conditions, inadequate pay, and toxic work environments.

Key recommendations in the report include:

• Modifying the implementation of new worker incentive schemes.

• Collaborating with the Commonwealth government to address the primary care crisis.

• Reducing reliance on locum and agency staff.

• Ensuring greater transparency in health funding model reviews.

• Addressing workplace culture issues with greater urgency.

Dr. McGirr emphasized the importance of the inquiry, stating, “This inquiry goes to the heart of the serious issues that our regional and remote communities face when accessing the healthcare they need.”

The full report is available on the Committee’s website.

This report is the frst of several that the Committee will release over the next year, with a second inquiry already underway focusing on specialist care and specifc health services. The Committee’s role is to ensure that recent health reforms are effectively implemented, building on the 44 crucial recommendations for reform made by Portfolio Committee No. 2 (Legislative Council) in 2022.

Tens of thousands of Australians are set to beneft from the Federal Government’s latest additions to the Pharmaceutical Benefts Scheme (PBS), including life-saving medications for cancer and epilepsy. The newly listed treatments are expected to save patients hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Among the new additions is Zyamis (midazolam), now available in pre-flled syringes for the emergency treatment of potentially lifethreatening seizures in patients with epilepsy. This medication is used to treat generalised convulsive status epilepticus, a severe form of epilepsy where seizures last more than fve minutes, risking long-term brain damage if not treated swiftly. Previously, patients would have paid $270 per prescription without the PBS subsidy. The listing of Zyamis will beneft over 10,000

Australians living with epilepsy.

Another signifcant inclusion is Tecentriq SC (atezolizumab), now available in a new subcutaneous form that allows it to be administered via injection. This will make treatment more accessible for more than 2,700 Australians with lung and liver cancer, potentially saving them hours of hospital time. Prior to the PBS listing, this life-saving medication cost