The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP on Monday announced he will reintroduce a bill to the NSW Legislative Assembly next month mandating a registered nurse be on duty in all NSW aged care facilities, around the clock.

The bill, which has already made its way through the upper house via fellow SFF MLC Mark Banasiak, was defeated in 2017 but Mr Donato believes the numbers are on his side this time around.

"This is really important, our elderly family members, friends, people we know. Ourselves one day, could end up in facilities such as this and we want to ensure those people in those aged care facilities, our most vulnerable ... are able to receive the care and attention and the treatment they deserve," Mr Donato said on Monday.

"Ensuring a registered nurse is available 24-seven is one of those things that must happen."

Mr Donato said the bill, which will be introduced next month, will change the definition of a nursing home, closing a loophole which enabled age care providers to bypass rostering RNs, who can provide a higher level of skill and care, around the clock.

"We're hoping the numbers in the house, as tight as they are, we can get the support of both the cross bench and the government to support this bill," Mr Donato said.

The gaping inadequacies within aged care providers were laid bare by COVID-19 while the Royal Commission into the sector, which ran from 2018-21 further identified its shortfalls, including insufficient staffing levels and expertise.

"A lot of these aged care facilities are privately run, some of them are listed on the stock market, they are profit driven companies ... let's not forget that.," Mr Donato said.

"This is about ensuring the care and protection, the best level of care for those vulnerable people in those facilities. Family members entrust those facilities to look after their loved one."

Federal Labor also had an overhaul of the aged care sector in its election arson but Mr Donato said this bill was for the NSW Government to consider.

"This is our bill, it's second time we've run it, we're not copying what Labor did."

"I'm taking a hard line because I think it's the right thing to do. We introduced this bill a few years ago and it was just politics as to why the government didn't support it."

Mr Donato said one of the reasons given during the bills defeat in 2017 was its potential to close smaller aged care facilities, largely through the added cost.

This time he was also expecting opposition from some aged care organisations while the shortage of nurses could also be problematic. But he said he was only asking for one RN, around the clock.

"I say this to those organisations: if you're prepared to put dollars before the safety and wellbeing of your patients well then maybe you're in the wrong industry," he said.

To read more stories, download the Central Western Daily news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send a letter to the editor using the form below