More than 100 people marched to Newcastle MP Tim Owen’s office in protest against the state government’s decision to axe $3 billion from the health system over four years.

Marching under the campaign ­banner “O’Farrell Cuts – We Bleed”, Mr Robertson said the cuts would affect every person in the state who worked in hospitals or required medical treatment.

“This doesn’t just affect nurses, this affects everyone who works in a hos­pital – the cleaners, the physiotherapists, the administration staff – they are all going to feel these cuts and so are the patients,” he said.

“What the government doesn’t seem to understand when it says that frontline jobs will be protected is that everyone contributes to patient health care whether it be the cleaners who keep the facility keen or the administration staff who help them when they arrive.”

He flagged preventative health ­programs, which he said had already hit the chopping block, as a major ­disadvantage for people trying to ­combat certain medical conditions.

“These programs are making people healthy and keeping them out of hospital but once you cut them these people will be back in hospital needing treatment,” he said.

“These are unprecedented cuts and the government needs to reverse them immediately.”

Mr Robertson spoke at the Hunter Health Forum in Newcastle last night where he promised to hold the government to account for its actions.

“I will continue to talk to people and get information from them about how these cuts are impacting so we can look into it,” he said.

He joined Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery and representatives from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and the Health Services Union at the event.