Stoner Shows Support for Kempsey Nurses in Parliament
26 February 2010
Member for Oxley, Andrew Stoner, has posted a Private Members Statement in NSW Parliament praising the hard working nurses at Kempsey District Hospital and asking the Minster for Health to heed their cries for help.
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Ballina MP Don Page Continues To Fight For Mobile Breast Screen Vans
24 February 2010
Ballina MP Don Page, has submitted a petition to the NSW Parliament containing over 1300 signatures of local people opposed to the removal of mobile breast screening on the Far North Coast.
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State Labor Must Ensure Future of Bellingen Hospital
27 November 2009
NSW Leader of The Nationals and Member for Oxley Andrew Stoner today called on the Rees Labor Government to immediately rule out the closure or reduction in medical services at Bellingen Hospital.
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Labor Failing Bathurst Families: Liberal & Nationals Boards Will Represent The Community
24 November 2009
The resignation of two high profile members of Labor’s Bathurst Health Council shows how dysfunctional the body is and how the local community is not represented under the Rees Government’s failed health model, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner and NSW Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner said today.
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Deputy Premier gives assurances on Grafton Hospital upgrade
27 October 2009
A meeting on Tuesday between NSW Labor Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, Clarence Nationals MP, Steve Cansdell and Clarence Valley Mayor Cr Richie Williamson has yielded encouraging signs for the long-awaited upgrade of Grafton Base Hospital.
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MPs and Mayor to advocate for better health services for Clarence Hospitals
21 October 2009
Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell, Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson and Page Labor MP Janelle Saffin will meet NSW Health Minister and Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt in Sydney next Tuesday 27 October to advocate for better health services in the Clarence.
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Lismore Palliative Care Cuts Criticised in Parliament
10 September 2009
Cruel cutbacks to palliative care in and around Lismore are a 'major blow' to the local community, Lismore Nationals MP, Thomas George told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
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Port Macquarie Hospital Fails to Treat 55% of Patients on Time
09 September 2009
Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today that the recently released NSW Health Performance Report reveals that Port Macquarie Emergency Department performance is one of the worst in the state, with a massive 55 per cent of patients in potentially life threatening cases being unable to be treated on time.
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Della Bosca scandal delays crucial Clarence hospitals meeting
01 September 2009
Hospital patients across the Clarence could suffer more as a result of the latest NSW Labor sex scandal which has claimed the head of Health Minister John Della Bosca, according to Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.
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NSW Labor Fails to Secure Fourth Pod Funding From Rudd
25 August 2009
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has failed to commit to funding the fourth pod at Port Macquarie Base Hospital, which demonstrates the incompetence of the NSW Labor Government who has now failed to obtain Federal funding for this urgently required expansion, Shadow Minister and Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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FOI Reveals Labor Won’t Build Fourth Pod Until 2014-2015
20 August 2009
Nationals Shadow Minister and Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today that a 60 page document from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on the Port Macquarie Base Hospital (PMBH) expansion, reveals how the failing NSW Labor Government will not commence the urgently required fourth pod until 2014-2015.
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Della Bosca Can’t Deny Cuts to Health: They’re in His Health Mini-Budget
14 August 2009
Health Minister John Della Bosca can’t deny cutting hundreds of frontline health positions under the banner of redundancies – these are the cuts he outlined in last Novembers disastrous Mini-Budget, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
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NCAHS Refuses to Guarantee To Pay Their Bills On Time
14 August 2009
Port Macquarie Base Hospitals refusal to guarantee small businesses that they will pay their bills within 30 days has resulted in businesses closing down their accounts, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Labor cutbacks force Grafton Hospital nurses to work 20-hour shifts
29 July 2009
Ongoing Labor cutbacks are forcing nurses at Grafton Base Hospital to work 20-hour shifts, putting staff and patients at risk, according to Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.
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NCAHS: Labor Calls for Round Three of Harsh Front Line Staff Cuts
17 July 2009
A leaked document obtained by the Liberal and Nationals detailing the NSW Labor Government’s third round of staff cuts at Port Macquarie hospital has sparked serious concern given the recent bed blocks forcing ambulances to wait for hours, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Labor Calls for Round 3 of Harsh Front Line Staff Cuts
17 July 2009
A leaked document obtained by the Liberal and Nationals detailing the NSW Labor Government’s third round of staff cuts at Port Macquarie hospital has sparked serious concern given the recent bed blocks forcing ambulances to wait for hours, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Local MPs Concerned About Whooping Cough Epidemic
29 June 2009
Member for Ballina, Don Page and Member for Lismore, Thomas George have engaged in a campaign to increase people’s awareness of the current whooping cough epidemic and the importance of being immunised.
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Labor Government Shuts Down Parliament: Port Macquarie People Denied Answers
25 June 2009
The NSW Labor Government’s decision to shut down the Upper House of Parliament last night means that the people of Port Macquarie will be denied answers on the future of the Palliative Care Coordinator Position and the radiotherapy machine, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Premier grilled over Maclean Hospital cuts
24 June 2009
NSW Labor Premier Nathan Rees failed to explain his Government's Maclean Hospital funding and staffing cuts during Question Time in the New South Wales Parliament on Wednesday.
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NCAHS: Directors of Nursing Positions to be Slashed
23 June 2009
North Coast-based Nationals Shadow Minister Melinda Pavey and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health Jenny Gardiner said today that the NSW Labor Government’s proposal to amalgamate nurse management positions at 15 hospitals on the North Coast will place even more pressure on the already over stretched Area Health Service (AHS).
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NCAHS: Directors of Nursing Positions to be Slashed
23 June 2009
North Coast-based Nationals Shadow Minister Melinda Pavey and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health Jenny Gardiner said today that the NSW Labor Government’s proposal to amalgamate nurse management positions at 15 hospitals on the North Coast will place even more pressure on the already over stretched Area Health Service (AHS).
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Labor Budget: Oxley Highway Blows Out Again and Fourth Pod Misses Out
16 June 2009
Shadow Minister and Duty MLC for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today that in the NSW Labor Government’s Budget, the electorate misses out yet again with no plan for the construction of the Fourth Pod at Port Macquarie Hospital, as well as more delays for the construction of the Oxley Highway Upgrade.
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Meeting with NSW Labor Health Minister ‘constructive’ – Cansdell
04 June 2009
A meeting at Parliament House in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon with NSW Labor Health Minister John Della Bosca was constructive, according to Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.
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Della Bosca Fails On NCAHS Hospital Bills: Guarantee Proves Worthless
28 May 2009
Health Minister John Della Bosca has proven to be a total failure in tackling the North Coast Area Health Service hospital debt crisis, despite pledges it would be fixed and that he was on top of it, Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner and Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner said today.
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Clarence patients can’t afford any more broken Labor hospital promises
25 May 2009
Clarence hospital patients, doctors and nurses will suffer badly if the Rudd Government fails to keep its promise to fix public hospitals by mid 2009, Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell has declared in a rare attack on the Federal Government.
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Pavey Questions Della’s Deletion of Palliative Care Position
14 May 2009
In question time today, Health Minister John Della Bosca agreed to get back to Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey as soon as possible about the details of his harsh decision to cut the Palliative Care Volunteer Coordinator position at Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
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North Coast to Lose Out From Budget Due to Rees Government
13 May 2009
NSW Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner today said current Premier Nathan Rees was to blame for North Coast communities not getting a fair deal in the Federal Budget.
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Axe Mega Area Health Services - Give Hospitals Back to Their Communities
27 April 2009
There is a groundswell of support across country and coastal NSW for the axeing of the State Labor Government’s failed Mega-AHS-Without-Boards model for our health system and for Health District Boards to be set up so communities can reclaim ownership of their hospitals and to re-empower local decision-makers.
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Port Macquarie Hospital Excluded From Funding Submission: Government Known for Months
22 April 2009
A NSW Department of Health document obtained by the Nationals through an FOI request, suggests that the Labor Government knew about the exclusion of the Port Macquarie Base Hospital from the federal health funding months ago, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Port Macquarie Base Hospital: Leaked Document Confirms Front Line Job Cuts
08 April 2009
A leaked document to the NSW Nationals’ shows that approximately 20 full time nursing jobs may be cut from Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Now Labor axes security at Maclean Hospital
06 April 2009
The safety of nurses and patients at Maclean Hospital will be under severe threat with the Labor State Government on the verge of axing onsite night security, according to Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.
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Port Hospital Front Line Job Cuts: Minister Gives No Guarantee
25 March 2009
The Minister for Health has failed to guarantee there will be no more jobs axed at Port Macquarie Hospital when questioned in question time, Duty MLC for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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No Fourth Pod Until At Least 2018
12 March 2009
The Rees Governments release of the Mid-North Coast Regional Strategy 2009 reveals that the Port Macquarie Base Hospitals urgently required ‘fourth pod’ may not be built until after 2018, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Page Raises Doctor Shortage & Breast Screening In Parliament
12 March 2009
The Member for Ballina, Don Page MP, has raised in Parliament his serious concerns about the loss of health services in the Ballina Electorate.
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NCAHS Refuses to Guarantee to Pay Their Bills on Time
06 March 2009
Port Macquarie Base Hospitals refusal to guarantee small businesses that they will pay their bills within 30 days has resulted in businesses closing down their accounts, Duty Member for Port Macquarie Melinda Pavey said today.
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Mobile Breast Screen Vans Another Casualty Of NSW Labor Government
04 March 2009
“Despite the North Coast having one of the highest rates of cancer in NSW and an ageing population, the Labor Government is reducing access to preventative measures such as mammograms,” Member for Ballina, Don Page said today.
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Murwillumbah Base Hospital - Make Your Voice Heard
10 February 2009
Local residents angered by the current situation at Murwillumbah Hospital can make their voice heard by taking part in the NSW Liberal/Nationals Health Infrastructure Audit survey, Member for Lismore, Thomas George MP said today.
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Lismore Base Hospital - Make Your Voice Heard
10 February 2009
Local residents angered by the current situation at Lismore Base Hospital and surrounding Hospitals can make their voice heard by taking part in the NSW Liberal/Nationals Health Infrastructure Audit survey, Member for Lismore, Thomas George MP said today.
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Lib/Nats Demand Rees Includes Port Macquarie Base Hospital Upgrade in Federal Rescue Package
04 February 2009
The State Labor Government needs to ensure that the long overdue Port Macquarie Base Hospital ‘fourth pod’ upgrade that has been long ignored by the Rees Labor Government is considered in Kevin Rudd’s $42 Billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan.
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Report confirms need for local hospital boards
03 February 2009
Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell has seized on the contents of a new official report to demand the NSW Labor Government ‘swallow its pride’ and adopt the Coalition’s policy of a return to local hospital boards.
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More hospital-related jobs to go at Casino
12 December 2008
A decision by the NSW Labor Government to put out to tender meal supplies for the State’s hospitals will put dozens of Casino jobs at risk, according to Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell.
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Garling Report - Port Macquarie Hospital Bursting At the Seams - Patients Treated in Corridors
03 December 2008
In the last six months the Port Macquarie Base Hospital has been forced to cancel up to 30 per cent of planned surgery due to bed shortages, according to the recently released Garling Report into Acute Care Services in NSW Public Hospitals.
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Rees Must Backflip After Timely Warning On Killer North Coast Mini Budget
03 December 2008
Current Premier Nathan Rees had been given a timely warning on the dangers of his slash and burn approach to the North Coast contained in his disastrous mini-budget, Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner said today.
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NORTH COAST NATS LAUNCH PETITION WEBSITE AND HOLD RALLIES ON 400 HEALTH JOB CUTS
29 November 2008
Leader of The Nationals and Member for Oxley Andrew Stoner today launched an online petition on the 400 job cuts to the North Coast Area Health Service proposed by the State Labor Government.
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NORTH COAST MPs UNITE OVER LABOR’S KILLER MINI-BUDGET HEALTH CUTS
27 November 2008
Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner and all North Coast State Nationals MPs said that Labor's mini-disastrous budget would see frontline services cut on the North Coast, particularly in the area of health.
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LABOR’S KILLER MINI-BUDGET WILL BE DEADLY ON THE NORTH COAST
27 November 2008
Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner today said that lives would be lost on the North Coast due to Nathan Rees' disastrous mini-budget cuts.
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Cansdell labels Government ministers ‘thieves’ over North Coast hospital cuts
26 November 2008
Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell has described senior NSW Government Ministers 'a gang of thieves' over their planned staffing cuts to North Coast hospitals in a fiery speech in State Parliament on Tuesday.
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Protest rallies called in Grafton and Maclean against Hospital cuts
25 November 2008
Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell is urging locals to show up in force at a protest rallies on Saturday against Labor Government staff cuts at Grafton and Maclean hospitals.
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Protest rally called in Casino against Hospital staff cuts
24 November 2008
Local Nationals MP Steve Cansdell is urging locals to show up in force at a protest rally on Sunday against staff cuts at Casino and Campbell Coraki hospitals.
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Cancer sufferer joins campaign to secure a PET/CT scanner for the Northern Rivers
16 October 2008
A Byron Bay businessman has joined doctors, health professionals, politicians and community members in the campaign to get a PET/CT scanner in the Northern Rivers.
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Please join the campaign to stop the Job Cuts to North Coast Hospitals.