Remote nurses still vulnerable as Gayle’s Law not yet implemented
There is no legal obligation to ensure regional health staff do not work alone, despite legislation known as Gayle’s Law passing State Parliament more than a year ago.
Employers of health workers in regional communities still have no legal obligation to ensure staff do not work alone, despite legislation known as Gayle’s Law passing State Parliament more than a year ago.
The legislation, named after nurse Gayle Woodford, who was murdered while working in the remote APY community of Fregon in April 2016, is yet to be rubber-stamped.
It will outlaw single-nurse postings in rural areas and ensure all call-outs will require a minimum of two medical personnel.
Under Gayle’s Law, companies can be fined if they allow employees to attend call-outs by themselves.
Centre Alliance Senate candidate Skye Kakoschke-Moore, who has pushed for national laws on the same issue, labelled the situation a “betrayal”.
“The failure to enact Gayle’s Law is a betrayal of Gayle’s family and the remote-area nurses across the state who fought so hard for these reforms,” Ms Kakoschke-Moore said.
“Is it going to take another tragedy for the Government to implement this Act?
“It feels as though the Government is paying lip service to the need for remote area nurses to be safe at work.”
Last year, Ms Woodford’s killer Dudley Davey was jailed for life with a non-parole term of 32 years.
At the time, the Supreme Court heard Davey had previously attacked at least five women, including two other nurses.
The murder of the 56-year-old nurse prompted calls for greater legal protection for remote health workers.
SA is the only state to have legislated but implementation remains subject to consultation on accompanying regulations.
Health Minister Stephen Wade said the murder of Ms Woodford caused collective shock and grief around Australia.
“The tragedy will lead to better protection for health practitioners working in remote areas of South Australia,” he said. “I am keen to hear the feedback from the consultation that is currently underway into Gayle’s Law, ahead of the finetuning of regulations.
“We are determined to better protect our health professionals.”
SA Best MP Connie Bonaros, who sits in the state’s Upper House alongside Mr Wade, said enshrining the laws had taken too long. “There is absolutely no reason why such a crucial piece of legislation, designed to protect isolated rural health workers from being attacked, has laid (unimplemented) for nearly 12 months,” she said.
Ms Bonaros pointed to a 2017 survey of remote area nurses conducted by CRANAplus, the peak professional body for Australia’s remote and isolated health workforce, that revealed 77 per cent of respondents had experienced or witnessed staff leaving their communities following multiple episodes of threats, bullying or harassment.
Only half of the survey respondents reported that “never alone” guidelines were supported and implemented consistently.
Mr Wade said he would not allow political point-scoring and shortcuts to undermine effective and sustainable change.
“It’s about getting it right,” he said. “We need to ensure Gayle’s legacy is enacted in a way that properly honours the well-respected nurse and the Woodford family.” The Sunday Mail was unable to contact the Woodford family.