Page 1834 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2022

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Papers

Madam Speaker presented the following papers:

Bill referred to Committee, pursuant to resolution of the Assembly of 2 December 2020, as amended—Correspondence—Bill—Not inquired into—Statute Law Amendment Bill 2022—Copy of letter to the Speaker from the Chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety, dated 6 June 2022.

Public Accounts—Standing Committee—Report 8—Inquiry into Annual and Financial Reports 2020-21—Speaker’s response to Recommendations 8 and 9, dated 7 June 2022.

Nurses and midwives—staff to patient ratios

MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (2.53): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) phase 1 of the nursing and midwifery ratios began on 1 February 2022;

(b) the three key compliance measures being reported are:

(i) a supernumerary team leader on morning and afternoon shifts;

(ii) a nurse/patient ratio of 1:4 for morning shift, 1:4 for evening shift and 1:6 for night shift; and

(iii) skill mix of no more than 25 percent enrolled nurses and 75 percent registered nurses;

(c) an amnesty period was granted until 22 June;

(2) further notes:

(a) a Freedom of Information (FOI) document obtained by the Canberra Liberals reveals Canberra Health Services (CHS) “remain confident that we will be fully compliant with phase 1 of the ratios by June 2022”;

(b)  FOI documents showing a “snapshot on ward compliance” on 15 February 2022 reveal only partial compliance with ratios;

(c)  for the morning shift, only 9 out of 17 wards were fully compliant;

(d)  for the evening shift, only 8 out of 17 wards were fully compliant; and

(e)  predictions for the night shift were that it would not be fully compliant; and

(3) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) provide nurse ratio compliance figures since February 2022 (with a breakdown of the three key compliance measures being reported);

(b) disclose if CHS are now “fully compliant” with phase 1 of the ratios, given we are now near the end of the amnesty period;

(c) commit to publicly releasing nurse ratio compliance figures for CHS, as happens in the Queensland health system; and

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