00:00I want to make it absolutely clear that the job of the NSW Government is to ensure that
00:04we have confidence in the public health system in NSW, that if you go to an emergency department
00:10you'll be treated with world-class care by somebody who will look after you.
00:15And there can be no tolerance for this.
00:17It's hugely important that the public has trust in healthcare professionals across our
00:22public health system.
00:23We cannot have examples of naked racism from public servants exhibited on social media
00:30or anywhere.
00:31It is just too destructive to the edifice of public health in NSW.
00:37We had to take immediate and decisive action.
00:39That's exactly what the Minister for Health and the Secretary of Health are doing.
00:43Look, it'll be a comprehensive review.
00:45Don't forget we've got the Healthcare Complaints Commission as well.
00:48Their job is to look at these particular instances.
00:51We'll task them with that job if they need extra resources, we'll put resources into
00:55it as well.
00:56I do think it's important, however, to say that, and this has been my personal experience
01:02both as a patient in public health, as the Premier of NSW, as the Leader of the Opposition
01:07during the COVID emergency, and that is that the vast, vast majority of people that work
01:13in our public hospitals – doctors, nurses, orderlies, paramedics – care passionately
01:19about people who live in this state, want to provide a world-class service, and are
01:23in healthcare because they care about strangers.
01:27They have that gene in them.
01:29The best traditions of public service.
01:32And it's my strong belief that this is an aberration.
01:34I mean, I can't promise that every single healthcare worker doesn't harbour the same
01:38hate or the same views, but what I can say is that the evidence is that it's a small,
01:43small fraction.
01:44And it's my job to build up public confidence in the public health system so that if you
01:49have got a pain, if you've got a concern, if there's a warning sign that blinks this
01:53afternoon, that you've got the confidence to go to an emergency department and know
01:57that you'll get world-class treatment.
Comments