‘Help Us Save Nurses and Midwives, So They Can Save You’

Mandy Nolan to Host ‘Vital Work’ Forum with Local Nurses and Midwives on the Staffng Crisis

Mandy Nolan, Local Community Advocate and Greens Candidate for Richmond says our local hospitals are in a staffng crisis. With better wages and conditions just over the border, there is a massive attrition of nurses and midwives to Queensland, leaving our hospitals understaffed and overworked. In the last few months, they’ve been striking for the pay rise they were promised. But it still hasn’t been delivered. They’re at breaking point and they need the community to support them.

Nurses and Midwives in NSW are forced to beg for a 15% pay rise after suffering an effective pay cut of 10% since 2020. Meanwhile, Queensland is offering $20,000 sign-on and retention bonuses for healthcare workers who move from interstate, and up to $70,000 for those relocating to rural or remote areas for over two years. This disparity has led to a signifcant exodus of skilled workers, with NSW Health reporting a 13.1% loss in its nursing workforce in 2022-23.

Mandy Nolan will host ‘Vital Work’ a forum on the crisis facing our Nurses, Midwives and Healthcare Workers across the Northern Rivers. Mandy will be joined by Dr Amanda Cohn, Greens NSW Health spokesperson and local Nurses and NSWMA representatives. What: Vital Work - A public forum with Local Nurses and Midwives on the staffng crisis

When: 6 pm, Wednesday 6 November Where: Banora Point Community Centre,

Corner Leisure Drive and Woodlands Drive, Banora Point Panellists:

• Kristin RyanAgnew, Tweed Branch President, NSW Nurses and Midwives

• Association and Registered Nurse and Midwife

• Angie Gittus, Murwillumbah Branch Secretary NSW Nurses and Midwives

• Association and Registered Nurse

• Heather Dunn, Registered Nurse and Midwife and NSWNMA Lismore

• Member

• Dr Amanda Cohn, Greens NSW MP and Health Spokesperson

• MC’d by Mandy Nolan, Local Community Advocate and Greens Candidate for Richmond

Williamson Demands Action After Critical Ambulance Station Closure Puts Lives At Risk

A Notice of Motion presented in the NSW Legislative Assembly on Tuesday by Clarence Nationals MP, Richie Williamson calls for urgent action by the NSW Labor Government following the overnight closure of the Evans Head Ambulance Station on 10 October 2024.

The closure has raised serious concerns about public safety, particularly in regional and rural communities like Evans Head, where ambulance services are crucial.

Mr Williamson’s motion acknowledges the essential role of New South Wales paramedics and condemns the NSW Labor Government for its failure to maintain adequate staffng levels, putting lives at risk.

“Paramedics are the backbone of healthcare, especially in regional areas like the Richmond and Clarence valleys,” Mr Williamson said.

“It’s unacceptable that the Evans Head Ambulance Station was closed overnight, leaving our community vulnerable and without vital emergency services.”

Mr Williamson’s motion was prompted by concerns raised with him by the Health Services Union (HSU) and local paramedics, who have long warned about gaps between the Government’s public commitments and the reality paramedics face every day.

The HSU reported that despite government promises of additional paramedic positions, ambulance stations across the North Coast, including Evans Head and Mullumbimby, were left understaffed on the night of 10 October, leading to dangerous delays in response times.

“Not only in Evans Head but across regional NSW, communities are being left without the paramedic care they’ve been promised. The Government’s failure to properly staff our paramedics is creating serious risks, especially in rural and remote areas where response times are already critical,” Mr Williamson added.

The motion also calls on the Government to address widespread issues affecting paramedics, including outdated rosters and the failure to maintain on-call paramedics closer to home, as highlighted by the HSU.

“I am standing with our local paramedics and communities across regional NSW who deserve better. I will continue to push for greater investment in our healthcare system and for the Government to deliver on its commitments,” Mr Williamson concluded.

A copy of Mr Williamson’s motion can be found here https:// www.parliament.nsw. gov.au/la/papers/pages/ notice-tracking-details. aspx?pk=17139 or scanning the QR Code.