Regarding your article NSW Labor states its position on struggling health sector (8 February). Nurses and midwives across NSW are grateful that the NSW Labor and Greens political parties acknowledge the need to increase public sector wages, in order to stem the haemorrhage of staff to other states offering better pay and conditions. However, it is not the only reason there is a health professional staffing crisis in NSW, particularly in the nursing and midwifery professions.
It must be clarified that, unlike the NSW Greens, who support the NSW Nurses & Midwives (NSWNMA) campaign for nurse/midwife-to-patient ratios across NSW in all areas, the NSW Labor party remains resistant to the adoption of the nurse/midwife-to-patient ratio terminology. Instead, they persist in calling for shift-by-shift safe staffing levels, which is confusing for health professionals and the voting general public alike.
They have also not committed to ratios in many areas such as paediatrics and community health. This is nearsighted, given that improved community health staffing, whether it is for physical or mental health, adult or paediatric, means that many potential admissions to overburdened public hospitals will be prevented.
By the provision of primary health care, more patients will be cared for at home, a saving on both hospital beds and health budgets leading to an improvement in patient wellbeing.
