Premier Chris Minns and Health Minister Ryan Park have struck an agreement with the nurses’ union to enshrine minimum staffing levels on NSW hospital wards.Credit:Kate Geraghty
Premier Chris Minns said the reforms would start in emergency departments from early next year to help reduce waiting times,but conceded the government urgently needed to address the 12 per cent of the nursing workforce leaving the NSW public system each year.
“Year-on-year,6500 nurses are leaving the profession,quitting in big numbers or reducing their hours,” he said. “We know we’ve got a mountain to climb.”
Health Minister Ryan Park said the agreement would require one nurse for every patient in emergency departments,a win for nurses who took to the streets in 2022 demanding mandated ratios.
Staff-to-patient ratios for other wards will differ based on the area of care and are designed to ensure there are enough staff to care for every patient on any given shift.
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association delegates Nichole Flegg,Nick Howson,Rachal Hughes,Skye Romer and Thom Hoffman.Credit:James Brickwood
Andrew Norton,a higher education professor at the Australian National University,said about 5000 students graduate from nursing courses at NSW universities each year.
“It is unlikely that new graduates alone could fill the gaps created by[6500] resignations,” he said.