Nurses, cleaners and hospital managers on the North Coast have been told some of their days are numbered, as the NSW State Government looks to save $200 million.
It's thought as many as 400 people could be losing their jobs in the latest casualty of the state mini budget.
New South Wales already has a shortage of 1100 nurses.
Health Minister John Della Bosca doesn't believe patients will be worse off.
“The North Coast area health service budget allocation has not been cut.”
“It’s a record $717 million but the area health service must examine the ways in which is can make sure it operates within the budget it’s been allocated.”
“And it needs to make savings in order to do that – not to return to treasury but to be able to treat more patients and accommodate the growth in demand.”
But Brett Holmes from the NSW Nurses Association says hospitals are already struggling with staff shortages.
“We have many nurses in that area reporting to us that they’re already under enormous pressure and that there are positions not being filled which are frontline positions.”
Shadow Health Minister Jillian Skinner says the health system is already in a dire situation.
“I’m afraid with 400 nurse jobs to go in just one area health service – and I think this is just the beginning – beds will be closed, emergency departments which are already struggling will be blocked.”
“Disenchantment will grow and I’m afraid even more nurses will leave the system.”
Meanwhile, patients are waiting over eight hours to be transferred from a stretcher to a hospital bed.
The latest data from NSW Health also says only eight in all 41 state hospitals are meeting benchmarks sent for the treatment of emergency patients.
Patients waiting more than half an hour to be transferred from an ambulance into the hospital has increased by 11 per cent.