Quotes attributable to Brett Holmes, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association:
The 950 new nurses to be announced in the NSW State Budget this week is a step in the right direction, but we urgently need safe staffing levels. That means better, more transparent nurse to patient ratios.
Nurses and midwives are leaving our hospitals in droves. They are overworked because our nurse-to-patient ratios are not safe or they are being ignored by management.
The best way for this government to make a difference to the NSW community is by ensuring they can be treated promptly and safely by nurses and midwives. Introducing ratios will help to achieve this.
The 950 new nurses need to have the guarantee of ratios to know that when they go to work they will be providing safe patient care and working under safe staffing levels.
International research backs the need for nurse-to-patient ratios – why is this Government still resisting something guaranteed to improve patient care? Only nurse-to-patient ratios can deliver the best outcome for the people of NSW.
If the NSW Government is committed to ensuring safe patient care and supporting nurses and midwives at work, they will put ratios into place.
