Health district to release long-awaited report

NORTHERN NSW Local Health District will release a long-awaited report into its finances by the end of the month after the Ministry of Health redirected blame over delays.

The district has suggested the release of the long-awaited Community Health Review – originally due in June last year – was delayed because it was waiting to consider strategic documents “being developed by the NSW Ministry of Health”.

However, the office Health Minister Brad Hazzard directed all inquiries back to the district and said the ministry had nothing to do with the delay.

Soon after, a district spokesman said a draft would be released by the end of the month and provided to the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association.

Tweed Community Nurses branch secretary Rosalie Scott raised concerns over uncertainty and staffing issues in the district due to the pending report. She said nurses had noticed more positions remaining unfilled and an increase in rolling contracts, but the district denied staffing issues were affecting patients. MAYOR Tom Tate has told the Crime and Corruption Commission to “get on with it” and finish its investigations into the Gold Coast City Council.

He says the watchdog is looking for a needle in a haystack but won’t find one “because there is no needle”.

Councillor Tate made the comments at a media conference yesterday following 12 months of frustration about the lengthy inquiry. In June last year the Mayor sent a letter to CCC chairman Alan MacSporran, QC, asking that either he or an officer meet with council after the investigation was made public earlier in February.

Yesterday, Cr Tate said: “All I can say is don’t use the M1, you can get down here quicker.”

He then repeated his argument that “justice delayed is justice denied” and called on the CCC to issue an interim report.

“Surely you’ve found some findings, whether it is positive or negative and release it to the government so they can do some action on it. Or don’t, so that the reputation of the city is not tarnished.

“The thing hanging out there is not right, so get on with it and finish it off. But I will say it anyway, because it’s the way it rolls –I believe they are looking for a needle in a haystack.

“And in this one there is no needle there. So keep looking. My attitude is – I hope the government ... do a cost-benefit analysis of this investigation.”

The CCC is investigating a number of allegations, including