A prison officer is facing an anxious wait to find out whether he’s contracted a deadly disease after an inmate stabbed him in the neck with a used syringe.

The officer from Bathurst jail in the state’s central west was attempting to stop two inmates from injecting drugs in a cell when one of them jabbed him in the neck with the needle.

It’s believed the inmates had boiled a prescription painkiller, using a spoon after creating an electrical spark from a power point.

The officer and his partner are now terrified he may have HIV or Hepatitis C, and they won’t find out if he’s in the clear for another six months.

It’s the latest in a never-ending series of scandals under Commission Peter Severin and Corrections Minister David Elliott, including escapes, violent attacks, drug use, mobile phone use and sexual relationships.

NSW Opposition spokesman for Corrective Services Guy Zangari tells John Stanley he’s not surprised.

“This just illustrates how dangerous the job is for corrections officers.

“They’re doing the best they can, but the government’s not supporting them.

“Let’s face it, you need better front-of-house security. We’ve been calling on canine units… better supervision of the outer perimeter fence.

“I mean, it’s not rocket science.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview 

If elected, Mr Zangari says he’ll look into the results of the current government’s cost-cutting measures.

“The government has scrapped down to the bone… where do you go from there?

“This is having an impact. We are losing experienced staff… that’s very hard to replace, John.”