Help with your stories

Dear Supporters,

Despite our best efforts, country patients are still out ion the cold. The NSW Government has yet to take steps to ensure country patients have accessible and affordable accommodation at all major hospitals in NSW

During my meeting with Sue Shilbury (General Manager of Royal North Shore Hospital), it was pointed out that there is no data on the experience of patients who have to travel and stay near a major hospital to receive healthcare. This data is not kept by NSW Health.

Knowing kore specifics about how many people require accommodation and for how long, would be invaluable evidence to take to decision makers who want figures and facts before they act to fix the problem. We also want to tell the stories of the people who have been affected by the closure of patient accommodation.

Each of you has some experience of the lack of accommodation near a major hospital and your stories can help make an emotional connection with decision makers and persuade them to fix the problem.

We have put together a survey to collect the facts that tell us how big this problem is and tell the stories of the people it’s affected. Can you take ten minutes now to complete a survey on your experience with country patient accommodation?

Click here to take the survey.

Your story could be a personal experience or thatof a family member, friend, or a patient you have known. Every story counts and will help create a strong argument for the need for this accommodation at all NSW major hospitals. Your survey answers will form the largest and only data source on this problem in NSW. It will also strengthen this petition as your stories are a powerful tool in communicating a clear message to decision makers in NSW.

Many of you have already heard my own story. I was a remote area GP and saw first hand my patients choosing not to get treatment or struggling with crippling debts from travelling to major hospitals to receive healthcare. Later as a patient myself requiring regular treatment in Sydney more than 500km from home, I was forced to make the same difficult decision when Blue Gum Lodge closed. But my decision to share my own story has already led to thousands of people across NSW signing my Community Run Petition and writing to the Minister.

We all have a story worth sharing. Can you take ten minutes now to complete this survey and tell me about your own experiences? I invite you to be a part of the building of this first and only resource and a valuable tool in this campaign.

Click here to take the survey.

Thank you so much for taking this time. I deeply appreciate your support and know there are many more people out there who appreciate all that is being done to see this problem turned around.

Thanks again!

Linda Samera