Premier Peter Malinauskas with healthcare workers, whose ranks have swelled with a record intake of nurses and midwives. Photo: Premier of South Australia.
The SA Government has boosted health services in North Adelaide with an injection of nurses and midwives.
For the first time, all graduate nurses and midwives from the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) have been guaranteed permanent work once they complete the 12-month Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP).
This year’s intake is a record, with 218 nurses and midwives, beating the mark set in 2023.
The TPPP, which supports newly qualified nurses and midwives to begin their first year of clinical practice within a supported education program, has a total of 944 graduate midwives, nurses and registered nurses.
This represents a 13.5 per cent increase on last year’s number of 832 and is part of a wider South Australian strategy to boost the health workforce.
Some of these nurses and midwives have already begun their work, while others are set to join their Local Health Network (LHN) in coming months.
“Our nurses and midwives provide high-quality person- and women-centred care for South Australians across the life span,” health and wellbeing chief nurse and midwifery officer Jenny Hurley said.
“This is an exciting year for recently graduated registered nurses and midwives as they consolidate their skills and confidence in a rich learning and caring environment.”
The rise in nurse numbers follows the largest-ever recruitment of intern doctors across the state, with the 10 LHN locations receiving 313 medical interns.
The NALHN provides care to more than 460,000 people across the northern suburbs of Adelaide and includes hospitals, healthcare clinics and mental health services.
NALHN executive director of nursing and midwifery Vanessa Owen said: “Employing extra graduates reflects NAHLN’s commitment to maintaining a competent and safe workforce to serve our community. As the network continues to expand, we want to ensure a proactive approach to staffing levels.
”After completing orientation, our new nurses and midwives will begin work on the wards. While they have already completed at least 800 hours of clinical placements as nursing students, their new roles involve new duties and responsibility. They will work with the support and guidance of more experienced staff throughout their first year.”
The Labor Government’s investment in health also includes 48 new beds at Lyell McEwin Hospital and 12 fast-tracked surgical beds due in the middle of this year, with a further 20 scheduled by the end of this year.
Modbury Hospital is set to receive a new cancer centre and 44 mental health beds.
The government said its investment in health had paid off, pointing to data indicating that in February this year 72.9 per cent of Priority 1 ambulance cases arrived within the recommended eight minutes, while 64 per cent of Priority 2 cases arrived within the recommended 16 minutes.
The recent hiring of hundreds of ambulance drivers was credited with the improved response times.
The Malinauskas Government said P1 and P2 times in February 2022 (under the Liberals) had 58.3 per cent and 54.5 per cent accuracy levels respectively.
