The report detailing 44 recommendations to address challenges facing the provision of health services in rural, regional and remote areas was handed down to the NSW government today, May 5.

Committee Chair Greg Donnelly said throughout the inquiry the committee heard "repeatedly about individuals and families let down by the health system".

The inquiry visited Taree in June last year and heard from Mid North Coast witnesses detailing their concerns with healthcare provisions.

"The committee heard stories of emergency departments with no doctors; of patients being looked after by cooks and cleaners; of excessive wait times for treatment; and of misdiagnoses and medical errors," Mr Donnelly said.

"This evidence is by no means a reflection on the NSW Health staff working tirelessly in challenging circumstances; rather it is an indictment of the health system that has allowed this situation to develop."

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association general secretary Brett Holmes said addressing staffing issues will be a step in the right direction.

"On behalf of our members, we certainly want the NSW government to act and repair the holes in health service delivery across all rural and regional areas. A fundamental part of that is addressing the clinical workforce issues," he said.

"As this inquiry uncovered, there's a myriad of short staffing concerns in regional health settings, which has put unrelenting pressure on nurses and midwives during every shift. The circumstances they face while trying to deliver acute care is unreasonable and, on many occasions, unsafe.

"While we welcome the committee's recommendation for a workforce review, the urgent implementation of safe staffing ratios is paramount and would help to address these issues."

President of the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association Port Macquarie Base Hospital branch Mark Brennan has previously highlighted the difficult working conditions staff are facing.

"What we need are more nurses on the ground and what we're asking for is staff and patient ratios of one to four on the floor and one to three in emergency, as well as a decent pay package," he said at a rally held in Port Macquarie on February 15.

"Nurses are just so tired and exhausted."

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said the Inquiry shone a light where it needed to, hearing directly from rural and regional communities, patients, their families and healthcare workers.

"To those who shared their deeply personal experiences, thank you. The NSW Government has listened and accepts that there is a need to do more to improve patient care in regional and rural locations," she said.

"Implementing bold new measures to attract key health workers to work in our regional health facilities and retaining that workforce will be a key focus of mine - everything is on the table when it comes to improving health outcomes in rural and regional NSW.

"Since stepping into the role as Minister for Regional Health, I have made it a priority to understand and address a number of issues that we know are affecting our health system in the regions, and the findings from the Inquiry will feed into this work."

The four priority areas for the Minister for Regional Health are:

The 44 recommendations made by the committee include the need to address a "culture of fear" operating within NSW Health preventing employees from speaking out and raising concerns and issues about patient safety, staff welfare, and inadequate resources, calling on NSW Health to review and enhance whistle blower protections to ensure staff feel comfortable in speaking up.

"There is much work to be done across so many areas. In order to ensure that focus and momentum for change is not lost, the committee has recommended a further inquiry to report on the progress and developments that have been made to address the matters raised in the report in two years' time," Mr Donnelly said.

The NSW government has six months to respond to the inquiry's report.

The committee's report, findings and recommendations can be found on the inquiry's webpage.

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