NSW health minister Jillian Skinner has sacked several senior executives of the Northern NSW Local Health District Board in a shock unannounced move.
The announcement was published on Friday in the NSW Government Gazette.
Northern NSW Local Health District Board members removed were Professor Lesley Barclay (University of Sydney’s director of centre for rural health in Lismore), Dr Jean Collie and Dr Sue Page Mitchell.
NSW shadow health minister Walt Secord has called on minister Skinner to explain the mass sacking of the north coast board members as well as four from the Far West Local Health District Board.
Mr Secord said ‘the only notification was a small one page declaration published on page 2744 of the NSW Government Gazette Number 81 on October 7, 2016. http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/notifications/2016/1003′
‘The notification shows that Mrs Skinner made the decision on September 23 and failed to tell the community. Furthermore, there is no indication of the seven replacements,’ he said.
‘The cloak of secrecy continues in the NSW health and hospital system.
‘Last year, there were major disruptions at Broken Hill hospital, which were swept under the carpet by the Baird government.’
‘Sadly, it is another day and another crisis in the NSW health and hospital system
‘Without any warning, a third of an entire local health district board and a quarter of another have been sacked without any discussion or information provided to the community.
‘The community has a right to know why and the Baird Government has a responsibility to explain to the families of western NSW what is happening with their health district,’ Mr Secord said.
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