WIMMERA residents requiring urgent care could benefit from the state government’s newly proposed nurse and midwife to patient ratio changes.
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Amendments to the Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Act will be introduced into parliament in August.
It is expected that an additional 600 nurses and midwives will be employed across the state.
Under the proposed changes, the number of nurses and midwives on a variety of shifts would be rounded up instead of down.
Ratios would be increased to provide more nurses and midwives to care for Victorians in palliative care, birthing suites and special care nurseries.
Additional staff would also be rostered on during peak times in emergency department resuscitation cubicles.
Wimmera Health Care Group chief executive officer Catherine Morley welcomed the proposal, but said the group didn’t have any areas where staff were rounded down.
“The midwives do a great job as at times we have a number of births on the same day and they work well across the birthing unit and floor to ensure mothers and babies receive great care,” she said.
“Any funded increases in the midwife ratio would be a great outcome for our community and the team.”
The Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation has also welcomed the proposed amendments.
Branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the changes would provide patients with better care.
“Hospitals ability to round down has caused enormous stress and pressure on nurses and midwives trying to provide the best possible patient care,” she said.
“These improvements are visionary and critical. They demonstrate the government’s commitment to Victoria’s public health system and its respect for the vital role that nurses and midwives play.
“Victorian nurses and midwives strongly urge all Victorian parliamentarians support this amendment so we can get on with implementation, continue to work on further improvements, and future proof our health system in Victoria as the demand on it continues to increase.”
