Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (22:26): I give an update to the Maitland community about what is happening with our health services because a lot of things have changed, particularly in the past seven or eight months. In 2022 the Maitland community obviously welcomed the opening of the new Maitland Hospital in Metford. It followed a seven-year campaign to ensure that that significant health investment remained in public hands. Unfortunately, nothing else changed. The caps on health worker wages, systemic staff shortages and temporary contracts continued under the former Government, even with the new hospital. We are still experiencing difficulties. The emergency department at Maitland Hospital had the highest walkout rate in the State. One in four people left the Maitland emergency department before receiving treatment. It did not matter whether it was at the old hospital, which has been on its site at Campbells Hill for 175 years, or the new hospital at Metford.

So what has happened since then? Minister Park visited my electorate before the election and spoke to many health workers. They told us some challenging stories about the difficulties they had securing staff. I am talking not just about nurses and midwives—and I acknowledge that there was a walkout at the hospital earlier this week—but everyone: the ward staff, security, admin, cleaners, allied health professionals and doctors. Under the former Government, the hospital lost its accreditation to offer junior doctor training. Minister Park has made an intense effort to try to improve the situation. The community continue to contact me regularly to tell me about people's experiences at Maitland Hospital. I know we have an issue with orthopaedic staff and attracting surgeons. Monique Murray and Kathy Chapman from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association are massive fighters for our hardworking nurses. Tracey Gaddelin from the Health Services Union spoke to me recently about the issues that nurses are facing. Of course, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation has always raised issues.

Minister Park has been meeting with the unions to discuss those issues. He is talking also to hospital management. I know that he is listening. What has happened as a result? We have attracted 20 new registered nurses to Maitland. We have started to turn the situation around and deliver much-needed change. But there is much more to do. The Government's commitment to safe staffing levels will mean that 1,200 additional nurses across the State will be recruited by 2025‑26, and Maitland will be getting them. The Government wants to make permanent the equivalent of 1,112 full-time nursing and midwifery positions. We are working with all of the unions engaged in our health services. One thing I have learnt over many years of dealing with issues at Maitland Hospital is that it takes systemic change to get benefits for patients.

That change has to happen across every job in the hospital. Every single job is so important. The Morisset mental health services will be moved to a new facility on the site in the future. That represents an opportunity to improve our mental health services. We have secured funding for a new community health service to be located on the site of the new hospital. That will bring the last of those health professionals working at the old site, along with the mental health patients, to the new site.

The old Maitland Hospital is a disgrace. We have not had communication. We have not had consultation by the former Government. It had eight years to prepare for the shutdown of that hospital and it did nothing to prepare for it. Recently I had a meeting with Minister Kamper and Minister Park, and we put their agencies in contact to hopefully deliver on the community consultation that people want. People have contacted me for years about this issue. In good faith, I put all of those suggestions to the former Government, and it did not take up one of them. With Minister Park and Minister Kamper, I know that real and positive change will happen at the new Maitland Hospital in the staffing and health services that my community deserve, and also at the old Maitland Hospital to ensure that it provides services and facilities for our community into the future.