Labor’s aged-care vow ‘a stretch’

Two Labor MPs have broken ranks to warn that the target for 24/7 nurses in residential aged-care homes will not be achieved by July 1 because of ­severe workforce shortages.

Labotr MP Mike Freelander. Picture: Richard Dobson

Two Labor MPs have broken ranks to warn that Anthony Albanese’s target for 24/7 nurses in residential aged-care homes will not be achieved by July 1 because of ­severe workforce shortages.

The warnings come after Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil admitted Australia might not have enough nurses to fulfil the Prime Minister’s centrepiece promise to have 24/7 nurses in residential aged-care facilities, as she flagged future changes to the ­nation’s immigration system in coming weeks.

Labor MP Mike Freelander said the 24/7 nursing target would be “very difficult” to achieve, as he called for a parliamentary inquiry to ensure nurses were distributed to parts of the healthcare system most struggling.

Dr Freelander, who worked as a paediatrician for 40 years prior to entering politics in 2016, said Labor’s reforms, including 24/7 nurses and 200 mandated care minutes a day, were placing immense pressure on the healthcare system, and pointed to recent aged-care closures.

“I think the 24/7 nursing ­requirement is going to be very difficult because it’s not just registered nursing, it’s also 200 mandated care minutes,” he said.

“Trained nursing staff are very hard to find, particularly in outer regional and metropolitan areas, and Labor has prioritised aged care but there are lots of other demands on nursing staff, especially in the rest of the hospital system which is dealing with post-Covid demands, an ageing population and nursing staff in disability.”

Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah said “a lot” of nursing homes would not meet the target, arguing the July 1 start-date should be ­extended by six months to give the sector more time to recruit staff.

The Higgins MP backed the policy but urged the aged-care sector to recruit retired nurses.

“We all know that a lot of nursing homes are not going to be able to meet that benchmark, however I think that the benchmark is there for a reason and nursing homes should strive towards it.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to set an aspirational target, but it could be used as a stretch target out for another six months.”

While Mr Albanese on Thursday brushed off suggestions that there was a shortfall in nurses to meet his target, Ms O’Neil said the sector was already struggling.

“We are already struggling greatly to provide workers,” she said. “A big part of the puzzle here … is the low pay of aged-care workers and that is something that the Fair Work Commission has acted on and our government is addressing. Even if we do everything around pay and conditions we are still going to have a shortfall of workers in the sector.”

The government is expected to announce changes to the immigration system to encourage more workers into the sector to help meet its election commitment, as it develops a new pathway specifically for care workers.

Mr Albanese said the government would look for “practical outcomes” but argued the aged-care reforms were “sensible” and in line with the recommendation of the Aged Care Royal Commission.

On Thursday The Australian revealed Labor was “refining” its 24/7 nursing requirement by ­engaging the University of Wollongong for consultancy services for the development of “alter­native arrangements” for the nursing requirement, at a cost of $400,000.

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley called on Mr Albanese to guarantee no further aged-care facilities would close as a result of Labor’s reforms to the sector, and that no pharmacies would be shut under recently announced changes to drug dispensing.