Labor’s commitment to safe staffing levels will blow up to a $1 billion black hole in their budget, in further proof that NSW Labor cannot be trusted to manage the State’s economy.
Analysis of NSW Health data reveals Labor’s safe staffing policy will cost more than six times the figure Chris Minns claimed in September.
NSW Liberal and Nationals figures show NSW Labor’s policy could cost taxpayers more than $1 billion over four years. NSW Labor committed just $175 million in September last year, three weeks before the Parliamentary Budget Office began costing policy.
It is estimated that Labor would need to employ 2,363 additional nurses and midwives to meet their promise, yet they have only committed to 1,200.
Treasurer Matt Kean said Labor’s budget black hole grows every day and taxpayers will have to fill it.
“Labor is being very slippery in their promises. There’s an $8.6 billion black hole risk in their wages policy, there are another few hundred million in their tolling policy and now up to $1 billion in their safe staffing promise,” Mr Kean said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said a re-elected NSW Liberal and Nationals Government would continue to rebuild our hospital and health facilities to support its record health workforce, which Labor repeatedly failed to do.
“It was a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government which announced the largest workforce boost in the nation’s history in our recent Budget with a $4.5 billion investment over four years for 10,148 staff to hospitals and health services across NSW,” Mr Hazzard said.
Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said it is regional NSW that will pay the price for Labor’s financial mismanagement.
“We’ve seen time and time again that when Labor need to fill a hole in their budget, they cut projects in the bush,” Mrs Taylor said.
NSW already has a ratio system in place – it is called Nursing Hours Per Patient Day (NHPPD).
In 2010, the former Labor Government agreed with the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) to apply the NHPPD ratio for staffing. The Union then moved the goal posts when the Liberal and Nationals came to Government.
The ratio system of NHPPD allows for flexibility on the ward so that the clinical judgement of professional nursing and midwifery unit managers can allocate staff based on patient acuity, complexity of care considerations and patient requirements. It helps hospitals calculate the minimum number of nurses needed to deliver safe and effective care.
The ratios proposal from the NSWNMA is a rigid system applied broadly across most clinical areas. If implemented in the manner sought, it may mean patients will be unable to access beds and wards in many circumstances.
Only a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government can continue to provide the economic stability which has seen it invest more than $18 billion in building and redeveloping our hospitals and health facilities since 2011 to support both the health system and the community. A further $11.9 billion pipeline of health infrastructure projects is in the works.
A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will inject a further $1.2 billion in critical health infrastructure to build and upgrade an additional 20 hospitals and health facilities, providing a major boost to our health staff and communities right across state
Despite seeing more presentations than any other State or Territory, NSW public hospitals were recognised as being the best in the country on performance in emergency departments in 2021-22 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
Between mid-2012 and mid-2022 NSW Health increased its workforce by an additional 25,700 full time equivalent staff – an increase of 25.2 per cent, including 9,340 more nurses and midwives, 4,140 more doctors, and 2,490 more allied health staff.
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