‘Keep NSW in a Healthy State’ is the motto of a health unions’ campaign aimed at harnessing community support for a better public health service.
The NSW government needs to expand and improve public health services to keep pace with a growing population.
That is the message of the ‘Keep NSW in a Healthy State’ campaign.
The campaign is backed by three health unions – the NSWNMA, Health Services Union and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation – plus the state’s peak union body, Unions NSW.
The NSW population is expected to grow from 7.7 million to 9.9 million in the next 20 years.
That will mean an expected 51.3 million more emergency department visits, 470,000 more joint replacements, 1.1 million more broken bones and 2.1 million more babies, adding to the strain on the state’s hospitals.
Federal and state Coalition governments are “planning” for this growth in demand by massive cuts to health budgets and hospital privatisation.
NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes warns that privatisation means turning a public hospital into a profit-making operation.
“Private for-profit operators owe a duty to shareholders, so they must deliver profit on investment.
“That can only be achieved through cuts to staffing and resources; fewer nurses, doctors, cleaners and security guards to provide care for patients.
“Privatisation will starve our public hospitals, when we need to see them grow.
“There are no examples where the privatisation of a public service or asset has actually delivered the better services or lower prices that were promised.”
A priority for patient care over corporate profits
Brett says the NSW Berejiklian government wants to wash its hands of its responsibility to provide universal access to health care to people in the state by handing public hospitals over to private companies.
“This will only make it harder for local communities to hold anyone to account for quality services, because if something goes wrong, the minister will just blame the private operator whose highest accountability is to shareholders.”
He says Australians value their public hospitals and the right to receive care equally, whether you are wealthy or not.
“Privatising our hospitals will lead to a more unequal, more Americanised health system.
“Public patients will be treated as second-class citizens and private patients will jump to the front of the queue.”
Brett says the health unions are committed to fighting for the best health care system – one that gives priority to patient care not corporate profits.
“It’s time we had a premier who will increase public hospital funding.”
By joining forces, unions hope to mobilise strong community support for a better public health system.
More than anti-privatisation
Speaking at a public celebration in Wyong following the Berejiklian government’s back-down on privatisation of the local hospital, Brett said it was important to broaden the campaign beyond a simple anti-privatisation agenda.
“The next step is making sure the government delivers on its promise with the $200 million to rebuild Wyong public hospital,” he told the crowd.
The gathering also heard from Andrew Holland, executive director of the Doctor’s Union (ASMOF), who said he was initially sceptical that the hospital could be saved from privatisation.
“The one thing that made me hold out hope was to see the motivation and the unity and the solidarity of not just the unions but every single member of the unions and every single member of the communities affected by this,” he said.
Bowral Hospital is another facility saved from privatisation by a powerful public campaign.
Speaking at the celebration in Bowral, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda stressed the importance of a united campaign.
“When the government told us they were going to privatise these five hospitals our first thoughts were, ‘How the hell are we going to beat them at this?’ It’s big, it’s overwhelming, and lots of people think, ‘Oh well, what can we do? What can I do as one person?’ But you can see what happens – it’s called People Power and you did it.”
Nichole Flegg, a registered midwife at Bowral hospital, said the result was a big victory for local nurses and their community.
“It means there is going to be equal opportunity for everyone in this area to be able to have free health care,” she said.