Residents are being urged to sign a petition asking NSW Parliament to address current doctor staffing issues in the Inverell Hospital emergency department, after several recent revelations of no doctors on duty.
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“I cannot emphasize enough that if the Inverell and district community truly want changes to be made, they must make the effort to sign this petition,” said Brad Hilton.
“If there is a poor response in numbers for this petition, the powers that be will assume that there is no problem and do nothing.”
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Mr Hilton found no doctors working when he visited emergency with an injury two weeks ago.
The petition has gone out to several business houses and Inverell Shire Council buildings.
Organisers hope to see as many signatures as possible by early next week so that Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall can table the petition at a meeting with health service management on Friday, December 16.
The petition calls for acknowledgment of “the need for the development of a long term, sustainable, operation plan to ensure adequate, reliable and consistent emergency and non-urgent medical services by doctors are available at the Inverell Hospital,” and argues that the current service provided by NSW Health’s Hunter New England Health “is unreliable, inadequate and a danger to patients”.
Where you can sign the petition
It asks the Legislative Assembly to address the current doctor staffing issues, and to ensure a long term plan is developed to cater for a growing community.
The petition is available at the Inverell Shire Council Administration Office on Otho Street, Inverell Shire Library on Campbell Street, Inverell Pharmacy on Byron Street, Campbell and Freebairn Chemist on Otho Street, Inverell Newsagency on Otho Street, Inverell Furniture Court on Byron Street, Anderson’s Carpets on Lawrence Street, Inverell Times on Byron Street and Skybridge Financial on Otho Street.
It will officially close on Friday, December 23 and will be forwarded to Mr Marshall’s office to be collated. With an estimated catchment area of over 20,000 people, Mr Hilton said he hoped a large percentage of the community would sign.
