Health Services Union rep describes new wage rise and one-off payment from state government as 'cop out'

Premier Dominic Perrottet unveiled the package on Monday.

It will give health workers a three per cent wage increase and a one-off $3000 payment as a 'thank you' for their hard work, particularly during the pandemic.

But the deal falls well short of the HSU's demands and local representative and paramedic Brian Bridges said it doesn't keep up with the rising cost of living in the long term.

"It'd be nice to get recognised in a more professional remuneration type way, the one-off payment is good but it doesn't impact your superannuation long term where a pay rise does," he said.

"Moving to three per cent from the 2.5 per cent is neither here nor there, that's not going to do anything."

The union had been pushing for a wage increase of around 5.3 per cent, which would have kept wage growth in line with inflation.

Mr Bridges said he expects there will be many other people within the sector who are less than impressed with what the government has offered up.

"I'm disappointed with what they've come up with," he said.

"Some may say the $3000 is great, but when you sit down and work it out in real numbers it's not a lot for what we do, or other frontline workers do. It's a slap in the face really."

Another key aspect of the government's $4.5 billion health announcement, which has come just a couple of weeks out from the state budget, is the recruitment of 10,148 full-time equivalent staff over the next four years.

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Exactly where those staff will end up is yet to be decided, but Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said he is hopeful the region will see its fair share, given the infrastructure build that is underway.

"We are building a new hospital in Gunnedah, we're building a new ambulance station for Tamworth, and we're building a better Banksia," he said.

"This new commitment of an additional 10,148 staff will support those health infrastructure projects, while giving local health workers confidence that there will be more hands on deck soon.

"The Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor has made recruitment her top priority and I look forward to working with the minister on identifying current and future workforce needs for our region, so that we can put our best foot forward when these additional staff are distributed."

Mr Bridges said additional staff would always be welcomed in the region.

And on top of the projects already underway, we should be planning for further upgrades into the future.

"Tamworth is certainly ideal for a staff enhancement, as are some other areas in New England such as Glen Innes and possibly Tenterfield," he said.

"It sounds like a pretty good package, in terms of new stations Tamworth is underway, Glen Innes is to get a new station and there's probably a few others to go on the drawing board.

"Inverell is one that comes to mind, as well as Manilla and Moree. They're not up there where they need replacing now, but Manilla was certainly looked at as being a refurb, and could probably go to a new station somewhere down the track."

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has tentatively welcomed the announcement of new staff, but said fixing the health system will require more than just additional workers.

"Additional funding is always welcome, but throwing millions of dollars more into the same failed systems will not change the outcome for our communities," he said.

"We absolutely need the major cash injection into our regional NSW Health workforce, but it must be coupled with major reform in how we staff and operate our rural hospitals, especially our district hospitals.

"The old models don't work anymore, that's patently obvious with the issues we're seen in our region - the very edge of the Hunter New England Health District.

"So we need to see some bold policy changes and new operating models implemented for the attraction, training and retention of medical and nursing staff and how our rural hospital networks are operated."

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