SARAH Mitchell was a big winner in the state government’s cabinet reshuffle.
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The Nationals MLC from Gunnedah picked up two ministries – early childhood education and Aboriginal affairs – and was also named assistant minister for education.
It’s more than enough to keep the young minister busy, but she has also vowed to see more progress from the ongoing push to boost palliative care staffing in the New England North West.
The ministry reshuffle saw Ms Mitchell lost her role as parliamentary secretary for regional and rural health; a role which put the state’s palliative care shortages right under her nose.
Late last year, Ms Mitchell met with palliative care campaigners in Orange and worked with local advocates in Tamworth, Mitch Williams and Lucy Haslam.
“Tamworth is a community that unites together on important issues, and in my previous role I enjoyed working with Kevin Anderson, Lucy Haslam, Mitch Williams, local doctors and the community to fight for increased palliative care services,” Ms Mitchell said.
Nationals colleague and member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams has taken over the rural health role, who Ms Mitchell urged to build on positive in-roads recently made in palliative care.
“As I would like to see the progress in this area continue, I have already spoken with Leslie Williams who has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health,” Ms Mitchell said.
“I have complete faith that Leslie Williams will continue to champion this issue.
“As a former nurse, she is very aware of how significant palliative care is for Tamworth and the surrounding communities.”
The newly-minted minster met with Hunter New England Health (HNEH) executives and local campaigners in Tamworth last year to discuss the region’s situation.
The meeting resulted in HNEH committing to adding one specialist palliative care nurse to the city’s workforce.
“The announcement of an additional full time community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist late last year was a positive step in the right direction,” Ms Mitchell said.