Labor candidate for Lane Cove Andrew Zbik and Labor candidate for North Shore James Wheeldon today met with nurses from Royal North Shore Hospital to discuss NSW Labor’s plans for improving Nurse-to-Patient ratios in NSW.

Labor candidate for Lane Cove, Andrew Zbik, and Labor candidate for North Shore, James Wheeldon, meeting with emergency nurses outside Royal North Shore Hospital.

Under NSW Labor’s plan, 735 new nurses in emergency departments and 105 new nurses in paediatric wards will be hired and trained to improve patient care, save lives and reduce waiting times at hospitals across NSW. Royal North Shore Hospital is one of the hospitals specifically targeted to receive additional emergency and paediatric nurses.

At present, the Nurse-to-Patient ratio at Royal North Shore Hospital is one nurse for every four or more patients in emergency. Studies have shown that such high ratios compromise patient safety and outcomes.

The new nurses will be recruited in the first term of a Foley Labor government, as part of the introduction of a nurse-to-patient ratio of one nurse for every three patients into emergency departments and paediatric wards.

Nurse staffing ratios represent the minimum number of nurses that can safely care for patients. As a “Peer Group A” hospital, Royal North Shore will benefit directly from Labor’s commitment to improve nurse ratios.

In addition, Labor will enshrine nurse-to-patient ratios in law – for the first time in NSW – so future governments and health officials will have to ensure nurse numbers are protected and not traded away.

Labor’s plan will benefit 75 emergency departments and paediatric wards, and will also guarantee one nurse for each resuscitation bed.

The additional nurses will cost an estimated $96 million over the forward estimates. 

Quotes attributable to Andrew Zbik – Labor candidate for Lane Cove

“After four years of Liberal cuts – with $3 billion slashed from our health system – it’s time we had a Government that invested in health.”

“A Foley Labor Government will ensure that patients in NSW public hospitals receive the best possible care by increasing the number of nurses in emergency departments and paediatric wards.”

“It was great to meet with the Emergency Department nursing staff at Royal North Shore Hospital. Their passion for delivering quality healthcare to patients was very clear to me. This policy will give them and the residents of the lower north shore that quality healthcare is always available.”

Quotes attributable to James Wheeldon – Labor candidate for North Shore

”Luke Foley’s commitment to a 1 to 3 nurse to patient ratio in emergency and paediatric departments is good for everybody in New South Wales, but it’s particularly welcome news in Sydney’s lower north shore.

“The emergency department at Royal North Shore Hospital continues to set new attendance records week after week. My wife is an emergency doctor at Royal North Shore, so I am well aware of the pressures that staff are under to attend to patients efficiently and carefully.

“The doctors and nurses and other staff at Royal North Shore are first-rate, but deserve better support. Placing additional nurses on the roster will be of tremendous assistance and will surely lead to better and more efficient treatment of patients.”