Ryan Park MP
Minister for Health
Minister for Regional Health
Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast
David Harris MP
Member for Wyong
Yasmin Catley MP
Member for Swansea
David Mehan MP
Member for The Entrance
Liesl Tesch MP
Member for Gosford
Liberal Nationals left 57.1 nurses unfunded in Central Coast Local Health District
The Liberal Nationals have owned up to their failure to fund 1,112 nurses across NSW, including 57.1 nursing positions in the Central Coast LHD.
Incoming briefings provided to the Minns Labor Government revealed that the previous Liberal Government left 1,112 temporary nurses unfunded beyond the 2024-25 fiscal year.
This includes dozens of unfunded nurses in 14 local health districts (LHDs) along with the Childrens Hospital Network.
This massive funding black hole includes no funding allocated for:
- 2 nurses in the Hunter New England LHD
- 2 nurses in South Western Sydney LHD
- 1 nurses in Western Sydney LHD
- 4 nurses in South Eastern Sydney LHD
- 4 nurses in Sydney LHD
- 82 nurses in Northen Sydney LHD
- 4 nurses in Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
- 1 nurses in Central Coast LHD
- 1 nurses in Western NSW LHD
- 51 nurses in Northern NSW LHD
- 50 nurses in Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
- 3 nurses in Mid North Coast LHD
- 6 nurses in Murrumbidgee LHD
- 41 nurses in Childrens Hospital Network
- 6 nurses in Southern NSW LHD
During Question time this week, in response to a member of the government addressing the former government’s budget mismanagement – which left these 1,112 essential health workers unfunded – the former treasurer and current Shadow Minister for Health Matt Kean interjected to inform the house these were ‘COVID recovery nurses’.
“The Minister is being deliberately quarrelsome, misleading the house about nurses that were COVID recovery nurses,” Mr Kean admitted to the chamber.
The Shadow Health Minister confirmed that the Coalition’s intention was to sack 1,112 nurses – at a time the NSW health system is under immense pressure.
The Liberals and Nationals failure to fund our essential workers is just one element of a $7 billion black hole uncovered by the Minns Government which included:
- a funding shortfall of $700 million for children living in out of home care; and
- a school repair backlog of $1.2 billion
Moreover, Matt Keans’ mismanagement of the budget has left the new government with record debt, which is on track to pass $187 billion – the equivalent of around $22,000 for every resident of NSW.
Minister for Health and Regional Health, Ryan Park said:
“Matt Kean has confirmed what we all knew, but they were too cowardly to admit before the election – the Coalition government had no intention of continuing to fund these essential nurses.
“The fact is, even post-COVID, our health system is under immense pressure and we cannot afford to lose thousands of nurses.
Member for The Entrance, David Mehan said:
“Healthcare in the Central Coast region is already under incredible pressure, losing these 57.1 nurses will stretch our healthcare services to the limit.”
Member for Wyong, David Harris said:
“The former Liberal National Government presided over more than a decade of mismanagement and underinvestment in healthcare in our rural and regional areas.”
Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley said:
“Our health system is already under pressure and the previous Liberal National Government is entirely to blame.”
Member for Woy Woy, Liesl Tesch said:
“Our community is always appreciative of the great services provided by nurse on the Coast. No one has ever asked to cut the number of nursing staff.”
“As our nurses continued to cry out for more government support, the former government secretly cut funding for nursing positions. Our great nurses deserve better than this.”
