A billion or $175m? Libs accuse Labor of massive bungle in nurses policy

A billion or $175m? What is the real cost of bringing in strict nurse-to-patient ratios in NSW hospitals? It depends on which party you ask.

A Labor plan to introduce safe staffing levels in key areas of NSW hospitals will fall short by 1100 staff and a billion dollars in funding, the government has claimed in its latest attack on the Opposition’s policies.

Internal government analysis looking at nurse-to-patient ratios has found that Labor would need to hire 2363 more nurses to meet their safe staffing commitment instead of the currently promised 1200 staff.

The government has also claimed that 2363 nurses will cost taxpayers $1.2bn over four years and their estimated cost for 1200 nurses is $412m — both significantly more than the promised $175m.

It comes after the Coalition claimed Labor had underfunded its commitment on schools, tolls and public sector wages.

Labor leader Chris Minns meets with nurses and midwives. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“Labor is being very slippery in their promises,” Treasurer Matt Kean said. “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 nurse staffing promise.

“Labor’s budget black hole grows every day and taxpayers will have to fill that hole.”

Labor has in part met the Nurses and Midwives Association’s demands of safe staffing levels, but stopped short of committing to ratios in all areas.

The Coalition has resisted repeated protests from the NSWNMA and refused to implement ratios — sticking to its existing policy of a certain number of nursing hours per day per patient.

But the opposition has hit back, saying their policies were costed by the independent Parliamentary Budget Office.

“The PBO consults with the Department of Health to make these determinations around costings. Unfortunately, the government is choosing to be political and their claims lack credibility,” a Labor spokesman said.

“Labor’s plan for safe staffing is comprehensive, independently costed — and critical to ensure we stop the exodus of nurses and midwives who are leaving because they have been forgotten by Dominic Perrottet and the Liberals.”

A spokesman for NSW Health confirmed they had done the analysis prior to the government entering the caretaker period.

“One of the functions of all government agencies is to provide policy options when

requested by the government of the day.

“At the request of the NSW Government, the Ministry of Health developed options for the nursing and midwifery workforce prior to the commencement of the caretaker period,” a spokesman said.

“It is the role of the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) to cost the election commitments of the Opposition.

“The PBO requests relevant information from government agencies to develop its costings.”

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