Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [12.35 p.m.]: I again highlight in the House concerns about cutbacks in the North Coast Area Health Service, particularly the amalgamation of the positions of director of nursing at Lismore Base Hospital and Ballina District Hospital. On a recent visit by the former Minister for Health in the other place to Lismore a representative of the nurses, Mr Gil Wilson, expressed his concerns to the then Minister about the amalgamation of these two positions. I have forwarded those concerns on to the current Minister for Health and Deputy Premier. I also have spoken to the Minister about the issue, but I want to place on the record the concerns of the many nursing staff who have spoken and written to me about this issue.

Clearly, the North Coast Area Health Service is not listening and has no interest in doing anything other than amalgamating the positions. Currently Lismore Base Hospital and Ballina District Hospital each have a position of director of nursing. How will making these positions part-time improve these facilities? Lismore Base Hospital is the centre for health care on the North Coast. People who get sick are sent to Lismore Base Hospital to receive high-level care. The hospital will not be able to provide the same level of care if it has a reduction in nursing management. The current occupant of the director of nursing position at Lismore Base Hospital involves a 10-hour to 12-hour day plus attendance on the weekend to complete the workload. I have been informed a similar situation applies at Ballina District Hospital. One person will not be able to effectively perform the duties of both these positions as well as travelling between the facilities.

Lismore Base Hospital is a hub facility with many spokes, all of which are of similar distance from the hospital. Ballina District Hospital is on just one of those spokes. It is beyond belief that the North Coast Area Health Service continues to pursue this amalgamation when the Director of Nursing of the Casino and Coraki health facilities and the Director of Nursing of the Byron and Mullumbimby health facilities, two separate small facilities, have informed me that their workload is excessive. Yet the North Coast Area Health Service expects one person to cover two facilities six to 10 times larger than those smaller facilities. Lismore Base Hospital has approximately 200 beds. One person cannot be expected to provide effective management with an additional 36 beds at a facility 35 to 40 kilometres away.

Why would the North Coast Area Health Service proceed with a policy that is opposed by the largest percentage of its workforce—that is, the nurses? As I said, the nurses have expressed their concerns to me about the amalgamation of these two positions. Once again, this is a bureaucracy that is making cuts to front-line services in order to bring its budget in line. The Chief Executive Officer of the North Coast Area Health Service said in a television interview, "The job cuts are necessary to bring our budget in line to pay for our accounts." That is a disgrace.

Mr Andrew Fraser: It is appalling.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: It is more than appalling. It is a disgrace to impose an extra workload on nurses and put lives at risk to bring a budget in line and pay for accounts.

Mr Andrew Fraser: They should sack the chief executive officer up there.

Mr THOMAS GEORGE: The member for Coffs Harbour says they should sack the chief executive officer. Quite simply, the chief executive officer is not listening. Apparently, no-one in the North Coast Area Health Service is listening. Every day the member for Clarence informs the House that 400 jobs have been lost in the North Coast Area Health Service.