Nurses across western NSW slam government's response to regional health inquiry

"The inquiry is a process that is meant to be improving the access and delivery of healthcare services for regional communities," NSWNMA branch secretary, Lauren Lye said.

"Ignoring the nurses' requests for safe staffing by implementing a mandated shift-by-shift, nurse-to-patient ratio can and will have a huge impact of the care that is provided to our communities."

In 2020, the NSW Upper House launched an inquiry into health outcomes and hospital services in rural, regional and remote areas of the state.

When the parliamentary committee visited Wellington to collect evidence in May last year, Gilgandra nurse Shree Staggs said the multi-purpose facility she worked at has been in a "downhill spiral" due to staffing shortages, with six beds unofficially closed and nursing staff forced to do other jobs around the hospital as well as their nursing duties.

"I moved from Dubbo to be with my husband in Gilgandra and I have a young family. Once they started taking hours away, I did not feel safe and I did not feel that I could do my job to the best of my ability because I did not have the backup that I once did when I had that extra nurse," she told the inquiry

Last week, a report detailing the NSW Government's response to the inquiry's 22 findings and 44 recommendations was released - with the government supporting 41 of the recommendations "in full or in principle" and noting three.

But Ms Lye said since the parliamentary inquiry began there has been no noticable improvements in staffing levels at the hospitals.

"If anything staffing levels are at an all time low, of course the impact of a global pandemic hasn't helped an already depleted workforce in regional and remote areas like Dubbo," she said.

But NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said the NSW government's response to recommendations relating to the nurse and midwife workforce either referenced previous state budget commitments, a need for Commonwealth intervention or current health policies and processes

"The NSW government has missed another opportunity to address the systemic issues impacting its own health workforce," Ms Candish said.

"After 21 months of evidence and more than 700 submissions, our members are outraged that the NSW government has again chosen to ignore evidence-based workplace solutions, such as safe nursing and midwifery staffing ratios."

While she acknowledged the government's "much-needed" allocation of nurses and midwives to the regions as well as promised recruitment and retention packages, she said rural patients will continue to be at risk if working conditions for nurses are not improved.

"The NSW government response fails to address the unrelenting workplace pressure experienced by nurses and midwives on each shift, particularly in multi-purpose services or community hospitals," Michael Whaites, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary said.

"It also fails to acknowledge any adverse impacts of a reliance on virtual care in acute or emergency care settings, particularly where no doctors are present for face-to-face care."

Mr Whaites said the government response will also do "very little" to ensure adequate clinical nursing for patients in federally-funded residential aged care facilities. He's calling on the government to introduce safe nurse-to-patient ratios as an immediate measure to improve regional health outcomes.

"To improve safety and promote better patient outcomes, the NSW government could introduce nurse-to-patient ratios on every shift, including a minimum of three nurses in every rural and remote facility, two of whom are registered nurses with emergency care qualifications," he said.

"If the NSW government ignores this and the evidence that safe staffing ratios save lives and money, many health services will remain at risk."

Ms Lye agrees: "Safe staffing with nurse-to-patient ratios is the only way forward".