The state Labor government has introduced legislation to guarantee minimum numbers of nurses and midwives to care for Victorian patients.

Under the legislation, the ratios for the number of nurses per patient set out in the nurses’ Public Sector Enterprise Agreement will be retained, and will apply where the Enterprise Agreement is in place.

Wimmera Health Care Group acting chief executive Mark Knights said the ratios would ensure the community received the high quality care it deserved.

He said there was an excellent nursing workforce in the region.

“We already operate under nurse to patient ratios and will continue to do so as required under the new legislation,” he said.

“I understand the bill will mirror the existing nurse to patient ratios under the current Enterprise Bargaining Agreement arrangements so I expect there will be minimal to no effect to the staffing operations already in place at Wimmera Health Care Group.”

The new legislation will include wards within the Victorian public health services, public hospitals, publicly operated denominational hospitals and multi-purpose services.

It will not apply to private and not-for-profit hospitals, residential aged care centres and public mental health services.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said nurses worked tirelessly to care for patients.

“These laws will ensure our loved ones receive the best care possible,” she said.

“We are setting in stone the number of nurses working on each shift, so patients receive the highest quality and safest care.”

The legislation also provides flexibility for health services to reconfigure staffing and roster arrangements to ensure the best use of available nurses.

The Australian Nursing Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said ratios were first mandated in 2000 and since then nurses had battled every state government to ensure the ratios were retained. 

“Enshrining ratios in law will mean Victoria’s public hospitals and aged care centres are world leaders in safe care,” she said. 

“It will also ensure that patient care is not up for negotiation every three to four years.

“This is something that cannot be argued with.”