NSW Labor has promised additional nurses and midwives if they win

By TILEAH DOBSON

The NSW Labor Party has offered a proposal that will see an extra 1200 nurses and midwives recruited if they win next year’s state election.

The proposal aims to see the minimum “safe staffing levels” brought to hospitals, with emergency departments given priority before rolling out to intensive care units, maternity wards, and other places.

The proposal is estimated to cost $175 million over the four years Labor would be in power. Despite the proposal seeming to be a step in the right direction, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary, Shaye Candish hasn’t said if more strikes will continue.

“We have been campaigning for much more,” Candish said.

“It [the proposal] is not everything but it is an excellent first step.”

While the union has been in talks with the current Liberal government, Candish has reported that no proposal similar to Labor’s has been brought forward.

Labor leader Chris Minns has stated that the proposal aims to ease the immense pressure on health staff, retain workers and improve patient outcomes.

“Every bit of data and information … has indicated that health is in a crisis,” Minns said.

“And every quarter of results indicates that the problem is getting worse and not better.”

Minns reiterated Labor’s promise and commitment to the proposal on Twitter, where he said “the time for band-aid solutions is over.”

“It’s time to reform our health care system. Nurses are our heroes – and we’re making sure they have what they need to keep saving lives.”

Greens Say More Needs To Be Done

NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann has pointed out that Labor’s proposal leaves out a timeline for when this would happen if they won the election.

“Labor has promised to ‘roll out’ more nurses to meet safe staffing levels across different wards but has not laid out a timeline for when that will happen. How long will nurses have to wait to see safe staffing levels under Labor?” she said.

“This is a big deal when Victoria and Queensland both have legislated ratios across all wards in public health facilities because we know that nurses are leaving NSW to work in those states in droves.”