Labor rallies the troops on health funding

Prue Car and Emma Husar at Nepean Hospital
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Labor is hoping hundreds of people will attend a rally this Sunday and help put pressure on the NSW Government to fund upgrades for Nepean Hospital.

At the hospital on Monday, State Member for Londonderry Prue Car and Federal Member for Lindsay Emma Husar, announced they are pulling all of their people power together.

Ms Car said the rally will begin at the corner of Somerset Street and Rodgers Street at 1pm on Sunday, August 28, and protesters will walk to the Nepean Hospital entrance on Derby Street.

“Opposition Leader Luke Foley will be here, and we will be inviting all members of the community who want to come and join the campaign to save Nepean Hospital,” she said.

“This rally is the next stage of the campaign to get the Baird Government to take seriously the problems that are at Nepean Hospital.”

The State Government did allocate $1 million in funding for planning work for the hospital in May’s Budget, but Ms Car said it’s not enough.

“Even though this hospital needs in excess of $370 million for the Stage 4 upgrade, the Baird Government only allocated $1 million in the last Budget,” she said.

“This is about putting pressure on Stuart Ayres, Mike Baird and Jillian Skinner to come through with the money we need for Nepean Hospital.”

According to Ms Husar, health care budget cuts from a previous Abbott Government left state governments with gaps in healthcare, that are affecting locals on all fronts.

She said nurses and doctors at Nepean are doing everything they can, but are chronically understaffed.

“It’s one thing to upgrade it physically, but the recurrent funding that provides for the doctors, nurses and associated staffing is really important too,” she said.

Prue Car and Emma Husar talking to Weekender journalist Dale Drinkwater
Prue Car and Emma Husar talking to Weekender journalist Dale Drinkwater

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