When most people think of hospital staff, they think of doctors and nurses, but there's plenty of other staff making the system tick.
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A group of those other health workers held a midday rally at Wollongong Hospital on Thursday as part of a state-wide union campaign entitled We All Matter.
Health Services Union (HSU) regional organiser Andrew Gorman said similar events were being held at hospitals across the state, ahead of a new television advertising campaign that will kick off this weekend.
Mr Gorman said the advertisements highlighted the work of everyone who worked in hospitals and the need for a properly-funded public health system.
"When anyone talks about the health system, they say 'we need more doctors and nurses'," he said.
"They don't think about the kitchen workers, the cleaning staff or the wards men. They don't talk about the community health workers or the pathology and imaging staff. These are the people who keep hospitals running, and help doctors and nurses in their roles, yet they get no recognition."
As part of the HSU campaign, workers are being photographed with placards that state why their particular role matters.
"For instance, Wollongong Hospital has one of the best infection control rates across the state, and that's largely thanks to the efforts of the cleaning staff," Mr Gorman said.
"If cleaning staff or services are lost then those infection rates could rise - that's one of the reasons their job matters."
Mr Gorman said the campaign aimed to send the message that workers would not sit by while state health budgets were cut, and jobs and services were slashed.
"The Baird government wants to see the WA health system implemented here - where most jobs aside from doctors and nurses are privatised," he said.
"This will lead to both jobs and services being lost, so the union has formed this plan of action to fight those cuts. These events that are happening across the state will lead to a state-wide day of action."
However, NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the union's claims about hospital privatisation were "scaremongering".
"The HSU should be rejoicing that the NSW government is committed to recruiting more health staff to improve patient care," Ms Skinner said.
"There are over 980 more hospital support staff in the system since June 2011."