Member for Mulgrave, Curtis Pitt, has welcomed today’s announcement that a Labor Government will increase the number of nurses employed by Hospital and Health Services and legislate for safe nurse-to-patient ratios.
Mr Pitt said that the pledge by Labor Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk was especially welcome especially given the cuts the Newman Government had wrought on the health system in the local area.
“In the Cairns and Hinterland area, we’ve seen 306 job cuts including 48 nurses and midwives cut from local health services,” he said.
“That means there a fewer nurses in our hospitals to help people out when they need it most.”
“There is a better way.”
Mr Pitt said Labor would commit $110 million over four years to fund 400 nursing positions as well as legislate for minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and review the role of the Health Ombudsman as an appropriate agency for ensuring patient safety and improvements in clinical care and health service management.
“Labor will rebuild our public health system and repair the damage caused by the LNP,” he said.
“We will restore patient care and patient safety.
“This includes an extra 30 nurses in Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.”
FAST FACTS
1. funding an extra 400 nursing positions;
2. reviewing the role of the Health Ombudsman.
3. auditing patient safety and quality improvement functions and re-establishing the patient safety and quality improvement service;
4. establishing a service agreement with Health Consumers Queensland to give patients and their families a voice;
5. legislating a safe nurse to patient ratio;
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