Hundreds of new nurses pledged for western Sydney hospitals

The State Government has pledged to bring NSW’s frontline medical staff to “never before seen levels”, which would add more than a thousand extra nurses and doctors to western Sydney.

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The State Government’s election pledge to boost NSW’s medical staff numbers would add more than 1000 extra personnel to western Sydney hospitals over the next four years.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday announced a $2.8 billion plan for 5000 extra nurses and midwives across the state by 2023, taking frontline staff to “never seen before levels”.

That would see at least 774 new staff added to Western Sydney Local Health District — including Blacktown, Westmead, Mt Druitt, Auburn hospitals and associated health facilities.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian with nurses outside Nepean Hospital on Sunday. Picture: Monique Harmer

NSW Health has estimated that based on current demand projections, those facilities would share and extra 116 doctors, 447 nurses and midwives, 93 allied health staff and 117 hospital support workers.

Nepean Blue Mountains Health District, including Nepean, Lithgow, Blue Mountains and Springwood hospitals, would share in at least 329 new recruits, including 47 doctors, 195 nurses and midwives, 40 allied health staff and 47 hospital support workers.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that would increase nursing-hours-per-patient-day in peer group B and C hospitals — including Blacktown and Mt Druitt hospitals — from 5.2 to six hours and 5.5 to six hours respectively.

Dr Dulan Dharmaratne has just started as an intern at Blacktown Hospital. Picture: David Swift

“This increase in nurse numbers equates to even higher nurse-to-patient ratios than the NSW Nurses & Midwives’ Association asked for and leaves Labor’s promises in the dust,” he said.

But the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, which has led a staffing campaign for mandated ratios of one nurse for every three patients in medical wards across NSW, disagreed.

Nurses protest for a new nursing ratio system at Blacktown Hospital on August 20, 2018.

General secretary Brett Holmes welcomed the announcement of 5000 extra staff, but said without committing to ratios the government was “ignoring the systemic flaws” in its rostering system.

“Experience tell us without minimum, guaranteed nurse-to-patient ratios on every shift and

every ward — nothing will change in our public hospitals,” he said.

Mr Holmes said the ratio rostering system had already been adopted in Victoria and Queensland.

NSW Labor has committed to introducing mandated nurse-to-patient ratios if elected.