Regional people's healthcare woes ignored: Greens

It's a key plank of the party's health policy it launched on Wednesday, ahead of next month's election.

It comes after a damning parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional health last year found patients had died on bathroom floors and cleaners had been working as nurses during staff shortages in the bush.

The government backed 41 of the 44 recommendations made by the inquiry, but rejected calls for an independent health watchdog.

The Health Care Complaints Commission and the NSW Ombudsman already had the powers to investigate complaints of bullying, harassment, and preventable deaths, the government said in its response.

Greens Health spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann says the inquiry revealed the health care system in the regions is failing.

"I heard horror stories of understaffed regional hospitals leading to completely avoidable accidents and deaths," she said.

"People living in the regions feel like they've been abandoned by this Liberal-National government.

"The Greens' plan will start to repair the faltering regional and rural health system and ensure people living outside of our cities can expect fair and equitable healthcare services."

Under the Greens' plan, nurses, midwives and paramedics would be given a 15 per cent pay rise in a bid to stop workers leaving the system - an issue that's exacerbating staff shortages.

"Inadequate staffing and pay in our public health system creates a vicious cycle of poor working conditions that lead to even more staff resigning, making it extremely difficult to draw new recruits to the bush," Ms Faehrmann said.

The Greens also want nurse to patient ratios as well as 1500 new paramedics to plug holes in the regional ambulance network, and 12 new primary care clinics where patients can see a GP, or allied health professional for free.

The party also wants tweaks to a scheme for patients who travel long distances for appointments so they can be reimbursed up front.

Australian Associated Press