Vote for the future of public health

The NSWNMA wants the NSW state election to be a referendum on shiftby-shift ratios, says General Secretary Shaye Candish.

“The election is both a moment for accountability and an opportunity to progress our campaign for ratios,” she said.

“When nurses and midwives cast their ballot on 25 March, we would like you to remember what your lived experience has been like in the workplace over recent years and to vote for candidates who support ratios so we can make things better. “There is a clear choice between parties that support safe staffing and an incumbent government that clearly does not.

“The Perrottet government does not even listen to nurses and midwives – witness the conspicuous silence after four massive statewide strikes over the last 12 months –and this must change. Without a government that is prepared to listen and to respond to nurses’ and midwives’ warnings, the public health system has a grim future.”

The ALP hasn’t committed to the NSWNMA’s full ratios claim but they have signed up to five key areas, starting with emergency departments. Under a Labor Minns government:

• All existing NHPPD wards will convert to a shift-by-shift system. For those currently at 6 NHPPD, a minimum of 1:4, 1:4, 1:7 enforceable on every shift will apply – with an additional nurse designated as “in charge of shift”/“clinical coordinator” on at least two shifts. Assistants in nursing will be additional to the minimum

• In EDs there will be a move to a shift-by-shift minimum of 1:3 + triage; 1:1 in resus; 1:3 in EMUs and 1:4 in MAUs. A clinical initiative nurse and assistants in nursing are to be additional to the minimum

• In Maternity there will be a full review of Birthrate Plus® in consultation with NSWNMA; shift-by-shift minimum of 1:3 in postnatal wards. Midwifery group practice/midwifery-led models of care will continue

• ICUs will be staffed to the latest Professional Standards outlined by the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses, as relevant to the department

• Multi-Purpose Services with Level 2 ED open 24/7 will get a shift-byshift minimum of three nurses, two of whom must be registered nurses and two must be FLECC or ENECC trained.

As The Lamp went to print, the NSW Government hasn’t moved beyond its announcement from last year’s June state budget when it claimed it would enhance the public health system with 10,148 additional fulltime-equivalent staff.

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites says there has never been any clarity about how many new nurses and midwives are within this figure, where they will be ratios4nsw.com.au allocated, or when they will be recruited, and there still isn’t.

“These numbers include a rehash of previous announcements and include the NSW Ambulance service as well as at least 1600 nurses and midwives from a 2019 announcement.

“There’s no guarantee how many will actually be recruited because the government said it would allocate funds to Local Health Districts to use at their own discretion.

“What we do know is ratios are completely off the table as far as the Perrottet government is concerned.”

Both the Greens, and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party have committed to support mandated safe staffing ratios. n

Visit our election website to out find which candidates support ratios.

https://ratios4nsw. com.au/

“Ahead of the state election, we are raising awareness of our ratios campaign in the area around St George Hospital, where I am NSWNMA Branch President.

Understaffing is the number one issue for members, along with excessive workloads. People are being pushed over the edge and doing jobs in excess of nursing. There is an incredible incidence of overtime in the ICU, and it is really hard to fill the gaps because you need someone trained.

“There are some critical seats in and near the hospital, such as Kogarah, held by the Labor leader Chris Minns, and the seats of Rockdale and Oatley, and we are trying to speak with as many candidates and sitting MPs as possible about ratios. We are hitting the ground with letterbox drops and going to train stations and handing out flyers there, and having a chat with anyone who has a minute to stop. We are also using social media: our members at St George are putting messages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share with their families and friends.

“We’ve spoken to all the Greens candidates in the area, and they are very committed to supporting ratios if they win. The Labor candidates have committed to five areas, and they call for ‘safe staffing’, so it is a good start, but there is a long way to go. We’re advising people to ask their local candidates and MPs to support ratios fully, and then ask which candidates best support those.

“It is critically important to set up the public system for the next decade. The result of this election will probably either make or break the health system.

“We are generally receiving quite a positive reaction, and there is a lot of public support for nurses and midwives.” n