Recruitment will shortly get underway for additional nurses in the John Hunter Hospital emergency department as the Minns Labor Government continues delivering on its promise to rollout a major staffing reform.
John Hunter Hospital is among the next twelve hospitals across metropolitan and regional NSW to introduce Safe Staffing Levels in emergency departments, with the implementation of the reform set to improve the experience of patients and boost retention and capability of staff in public hospitals.
The Safe Staffing Levels initiative involves the introduction of minimum staffing levels on every shift, which will result in more nurses employed in hospitals right across the state and better care for patients.
The staffing boost of frontline healthcare workers at John Hunter Hospital will enable a one-to-one nursing care ratio for generally occupied emergency department resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three generally occupied ED treatment spaces and ED short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
The announcement will bring the total number of hospitals commencing the roll-out of Safe Staffing Levels to 16 across the state following the earlier announcement of Liverpool, Royal North Shore, Lismore, and Port Macquarie Hospitals.
The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce, which includes key leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA), NSW Health, and local health districts, will continue to work through the preparations to determine the FTE required to deliver Safe Staffing Levels at John Hunter Hospital over coming weeks and months.
Phase one of Safe Staffing Levels is initially commencing in Level 5 and Level 6 EDs, which treat the most critically ill patients, and will then be progressively implemented across other hospitals and departments. The Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce will continue to oversee the rollout of the government’s commitment of 2480 FTE over four years (to June 2027) towards staffing levels.
Implementing Safe Staffing Levels is just one of a range of measures the Minns Labor Government is embracing to build a supported and capable health workforce, including:
saving 1,112 nurse and midwife positions by making the roles permanent;
abolishing the wages cap and delivering the highest pay increase in over a decade for nurses and other health workers;
beginning to roll out 500 additional paramedics in regional, rural, and remote communities; and
introducing the health worker study subsidies scheme.
NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“The Safe Staffing Levels initiative involves the introduction of minimum staffing levels on every shift, which will result in more nurses employed in hospitals right across the state.
“Importantly, this reform will deliver improved nursing numbers to provide care for patients while supporting our frontline healthcare staff.
“The rollout began earlier this year at Liverpool, Royal North Shore, Port Macquarie Base and Lismore Base Hospitals and I’m thrilled we’re now onto the next twelve sites that will see implementation commence over coming months.”
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:
“While equipment and facilities are important, they will never replace the care and compassion of our nurses.
“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, giving patients vital care to people who are often in their darkest moments.
“People in the Hunter deserve the best healthcare, and these changes will ensure patients get more personalised care with improved nurse-to-patient ratios at John Hunter.”