Labor criticises lack of staff at the Moruya Emergency Department facility SNSWLHD says is still under construction

However Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) say the construction of the room is not yet complete.

Bega MP Dr Michael Holland and NSW Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park met healthcare workers outside Moruya Emergency Department on December 1.

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Dr Holland said the new extensions to the Emergency Department were complete, but there was not the staff available to service the extra beds. He said the staff refer to the new room as "the $1 million storage room".

"The new extension to the Moruya Accident and Emergency is ready to go but they don't have the staff to open," Dr Holland said.

"This government like to point out the number of hospitals they've built, but it seems there are never enough staff to make them functional."

READ MORE: The $260 million Eurobodalla Regional Hospital masterplan includes money for upgrading the existing Moruya Hospital

However a spokesperson for SNSWLHD said the new extension at Moruya Emergency Department was still under construction and it would be unsafe to staff it with health workers until work was complete.

"Final fit out is underway including installation of patient monitoring equipment, data and electrical points, furniture and storage," the spokesperson said.

The upgraded emergency department will more than double the amount of treatment spaces currently available at the hospital.

The spokesperson said the expansion was due to open in early 2023.

Mr Park said Labor was committed to 3:1 patient to staff ratio.

He said Labor would scrap the wages cap to try prevent losing nurses and healthcare workers from moving to Victoria in pursuit of higher salaries.

"We can't afford to lose them when we have the type of pressure that is on hospitals at the moment," Mr Park said.

Mr Park acknowledged housing affordability and availability was a challenge that must be overcome when recruiting staff to areas such as Moruya.

"Future hospitals will have to be built with idea around having the appropriate level of housing to support it," Mr Park said.