Nurses and midwives are to have better patient ratios in hospitals as the Department of Health and Human Services seeks to employ an additional 500 nurses and midwives across the State.
Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos said in a statement that amendments to the Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Act 2015 enshrined improvements to nurse and midwife patient ratios to ensure they can devote more time to each patient and deliver better, safer care.
“The legislation ensures the number of nurses and midwives across all clinical settings will be rounded up, instead of down, removing a loophole that meant staff were often carrying a workload up to 50 per cent higher than the ratio,” Ms Mikakos said
“The latest amendments mean more nurses and midwives in medical and surgical wards, birthing suites, postnatal wards, special care nurseries, geriatric evaluation management wards, larger EDs with short stay observation areas,” she said.
“Staffing will also be improved in residential aged care and rehabilitation wards.”
Ms Mikakos said smaller regional hospitals would also receive additional After Hours Coordinators where specified, acknowledging the increased complexity of coordinating mixed services in regional hospitals.
“Our nurses and midwives are heroes and now more than ever we thank them for the work they do every day caring for all Victorians,” the Minister.
