Greens candidate for Wollondilly Jason Webster calls for serious healthcare reforms in NSW

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Candidate for Wollondilly, Jason Webster said the pandemic pushed the already struggling health system to the brink.

"Frontline healthcare workers are burning out and resigning," he said.

"We are aware that in the local hospital's people are leaving because of the stress, staff shortages, poor wages and staffing ratios; and that there are similar issues in the local aged care sector."

The Greens have introduced a bill to the NSW Parliament to establish Nurse to Patient Ratios and pushed the Government to give a bonus to nurses.

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"Wait times for emergency departments and ambulances have exploded, chronic understaffing and deteriorating working conditions have pushed frontline healthcare workers to protest in the streets, and more and more people can't afford the care that they need," Mr Webster said.

"The Greens have a plan to make sure that if you need to see a doctor, call an ambulance or go to hospital, you will get the care you need, when you need it, at no out-of-pocket cost.

"We will do this by increasing public services like public dental clinics, public mental health clinics and public GP and allied health clinics.

"We will look after our health workers with safe staffing ratios in public hospitals and a real wage increase, and we will repair our broken ambulance network."

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Mr Webster said an ambulance was spotted in Wollondilly showing the paramedics grievances.

"The writing on the vehicle shows the hashtag #hsuad, for the Health Services Union Ambulance Department," he said.

"It points out that in Queensland, paramedics are paid $14,000 more a year for the same skillset.

"With your vote, you can put the Greens in the balance of power where we can work to fix our healthcare system and provide free healthcare when and where you need it."

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