02 October 2009

Orange and Dubbo Base Hospitals move forward with Garling

The Greater Western Area Health Service is the first in NSW to recruit Clinical Support Officers  - a key recommendation of the Garling Report – freeing up nurses to focus on patient care, not paper work.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Carmel Tebbutt today visited the region, inspecting both Dubbo and Orange base hospitals and meeting with staff.

Ms Tebbutt said eight Clinical Support Officers had been appointed at Orange Base Hospital and five of the seven positions allocated for Dubbo Base Hospital had also been filled.

”The recruitment of these Clinical Support Officers is the result of a commitment made by the NSW Government to free up nurses’ time to spend on patient care rather than administrative duties,” Ms Tebbutt said.

“They will help local nurses, medical staff and allied health staff with tasks such as rostering, reports and medical stock and supply orders to ensure they can spend more of their time caring for patients.

“We all know that hospital stays can be difficult for the whole family and that’s why freeing up our health professionals to spend more time with patients is absolutely the right thing to be doing.

“The Greater Western Area Health Service has been quick to adopt this initiative and I believe there was a very good response to these positions.

“I would like to congratulate those who were successful in receiving a position.

“This initiative is a significant investment in the health system and forms part of NSW Government’s response to the Garling Report – Caring Together: The Health Action Plan for NSW.

“In the 2009-10 NSW State Budget we have allocated $117 million for the roll-out of Caring Together across the State. “

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au