Nurses and midwives would never have to fight for ratios again, following Victorian Labor Leader Daniel Andrews’ promise today that he will legislate safe patient ratios, should he be elected as Premier.
In front of over 200 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation members, Mr Andrews announced he would protect and legislate the safe patient ratios that currently exist in the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2012-2016, during his first term.
The current enterprise agreement, due for renegotiation in 2016, requires major metropolitan hospitals to roster to the safe ratios of one nurse to four patients during day shifts and one nurse to eight patients during night shifts. Different ratios are in place for maternity units, regional hospitals special care nurseries, aged care and emergency departments.
The ratios also serve to guarantee the minimum number of qualified nurses or midwives on each shift to ensure high quality patient care and safety.
The Andrews’ ratios legislation would also prevent nurse substitution by unregistered health assistants.
Mr Andrews also said that a Victorian Labor Government would work in consultation with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation in relation to expanding and improving ratios into the future.
Legislated ratios would also be a first for Australia in public hospital and aged care settings.
ANMF (Victorian Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the Branch had been working on strategies to ensure that safe patient ratios become law, and therefore never have to be fought for again.
‘We all remember our long and drawn out fights to maintain safe nurse/midwife patient ratios during difficult negotiations of our previous enterprise agreements,’ Ms Fitzpatrick said.
‘In 2011-12 our fight for safe patient care took to the streets for eight months as we stood together to ensure that Victorians received the level of care they deserve in our public hospitals and aged care facilities.
‘We also had to stop the current government from trying to substitute nurses with health assistants.
‘It would be an historic win for nurses and midwives to have our safe ratios enshrined in legislation, and never have to be fought for again.
‘The move to legislate ratios is equally as critical as we await a full Federal Court appeal to decide whether it is permissible to actually include legally enforceable ratios in enterprise agreements.’
Mr Andrews said Labor values Victoria’s hardworking, professional nursing and midwifery workforce and that he backed research which demonstrates that safe nurse/midwife patient ratios improve patient care, and save lives.
He said he wanted to guarantee the continuation of ratios and ensure that Victoria is the best place to receive health care, and for Victorian hospitals to be great places to work.
Victoria was the first jurisdiction in the world to enact nurse to patient ratios in 2000, with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission recommending that mandatory nurse to patient ratios be introduced in public acute hospitals and aged care facilities.
Nurse to patient ratios currently apply in acute wards, aged care, emergency departments, labour wards, ante/post-natal wards, NICU, high dependency units, coronary care units, special care nurseries, rehabilitation and palliative care.
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