Phase one will recruit 70 new FTE nurses across Liverpool and Royal North Shore hospitals.
NSW Health has launched its recruitment push to establish safer staffing ratios in the state’s public hospitals.
Phase one of the drive is the search for 70 new funded FTE nurses across Liverpool and Royal North Shore hospitals in Sydney.
According to NSW Health, the additional nurses will enable a one-to-one nursing care ratio for generally occupied ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three generally occupied ED treatment spaces and ED short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
“This follows discussions with the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce established to oversee the rollout of the government’s commitment of 2480 FTE over four years towards staffing levels,” said the announcement.
“It includes key leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), NSW Health, and local health districts.”
The NSWNMA welcomed the start of the recruitment process, saying it meant patient safety would no longer be compromised.
“After a decade of campaigning, we are very pleased to see this important piece of healthcare reform finally come to fruition in NSW,” said general secretary Shaye Candish.
“These shift-by-shift ratios can’t come soon enough for our nurses and midwives – it’s the reprieve they so urgently need.
“It will provide crucial workload relief for our members, who have been struggling with chronic understaffing for too long. It will also ensure our public hospitals are safer for patients, so they receive the care they deserve.
“We are confident this staffing model will help to rebuild the workforce and lead to higher retention levels, while providing savings within health in the long run.”
Implementation of the safe staffing level areas is scheduled to occur in phases over the next three years. Phase one of safe staffing levels is initially commencing in Level 5 and Level 6 EDs, which treat the most critically ill patients, and will then be progressively implemented across other hospitals and departments, according to NSW Health.
Safe staffing ratios is one strategy NSW Health has promised to implement. The others include:
- saving 1,112 nurse and midwife positions by making the roles permanent;
- abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers;
- beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural and remote communities; and
- introducing the health worker study subsidies scheme.
“The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce will review this initial rollout at Liverpool and Royal North Shore EDs and use these experiences to help inform the roll out at future sites,” said state health minister Ryan Park.
NSWNMA assistant general secretary Michael Whaites, said while the union was relieved to see ratios begin, there was still a lot of work to be done.
“We are eagerly anticipating the expansion of ratios to other EDs, and then ICUs, adult in-patient wards, maternity services and our state’s multi-purpose service sites, with the government committing to 2480 FTE nurses and midwives to achieve this,” he said.
“We are seeking further funding from the government to ensure these five clinical areas receive ratios. Current funding means the rollout won’t cover all wards and units in every hospital.
“In addition, we look forward to negotiations with the state government after serving our 15% pay and conditions claim, which will make nurses and midwives competitive with other states.
“The pay claim also takes into account a decade of wage suppression by previous governments.
“Nurses and midwives must not be forced to choose between safe workloads and fair pay. They deserve more in 2024.”