The delivery of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Healthcare Funding report follows almost 70 hearing days and an extensive consultation with health policy experts, patients, consumers, and NSW Health staff involved in the delivery of care at every level.
The report has made 41 recommendations across 12 key areas including workforce, education and training, funding and procurement processes. Over the coming months, the NSW Government will carefully consider and develop a response to these findings.
NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM has today thanked every one of the people working in our healthcare system throughout NSW. Their dedication, skill, and commitment to providing the very best patient care have been recognised by the Inquiry throughout the pages of the report.
"The Honourable Justice Beasley acknowledges the strength of the NSW Health system, its openness in its contribution to the Inquiry, and the commitment of our people to improving the public health system for the benefit of the people of NSW," Ms Pearce said.
While the focus will understandably be on recommendations made and areas for improvement, it is very important to note the comments of the Honourable Justice Beasley, who said:
"…the NSW public health system is a very good one. It comprises doctors, nurses, other clinicians, and workers who are well trained, highly skilled, and dedicated. It is well managed.
"It is not, and is unlikely to be in the near future, entirely mistake or incident free, but any person experiencing an illness or injury who attends a NSW public hospital, facility or service, is very likely to receive treatment and care comparable to the best that is provided in any other developed country."
On the central issue of healthcare funding, the Honourable Justice Beasley said:
"The money allocated to the NSW public health system by a combination of the NSW and Commonwealth Governments is generally not wasted. Likewise, the local health districts and specialty health networks do not waste their budgetary allocation."
Ms Pearce said this is not to say that there are not areas for improvement across the public health system.
"We work in a huge and complex public health system and there always has been and always will be room for improvement and innovation, as we strive continuously to enhance patient experiences and outcomes," she said.
"A crucial part of this ongoing effort is providing the support and creating the conditions to allow our staff to do what they do best - care for patients. I agree with the Honourable Justice Beasley, who said: "The health workforce is NSW Health's greatest asset. It is the key to a strong and sustainable system into the future."
"We have longstanding recruitment issues, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas, which are challenging for staff and communities in these areas, as well as in some clinical areas and practice disciplines. This continues to be an area of focus."
"So, while I am the first to acknowledge that we have significant challenges to address, it is also true that we are addressing all these challenges from a position of strength, with one of the best healthcare systems in the world, staffed by the best workforce in the world."
"For those who may try to portray the Inquiry, or NSW Health, as something it is not, it should be noted the opening paragraph of the Inquiry Report says:
"This Special Commission of Inquiry should at least be welcomed as a refreshing change to other Commissions conducted in Australia and NSW in recent years. Rather than being an inquiry into the failure of government and its agencies, or into their poor conduct, misconduct or unlawful conduct, it has been an inquiry into how a government service might be improved."
"More than that, I was heartened to see the Honourable Justice Beasley not only noted NSW Health's cooperation with the Inquiry, but that this… "cooperation extended to facilitating evidence from witnesses, who on many occasions expressed a form of disagreement or criticism about how things were done, or offered a different viewpoint to that of the NSW Ministry of Health or management."
"Disagreement and criticism of the way things are done are not unwelcome. Every day in NSW Health, as the Inquiry noted, a genuine exchange of ideas about the ways in which the delivery of healthcare can be improved is critical."
"This includes supporting staff who raise concerns or make complaints to pursue these matters. I want everyone who works in NSW Health to know they can speak up if they feel they need to. I strongly encourage them to do so constructively. It is vital to ensuring we continue to provide the world class health service the Special Commission of Inquiry has recognised in its report," Ms Pearce said.
