When: Friday 8 November 2019
Where: ANMF, 19 Brisbane Street, Launceston
Time: 10:45am

In the lead up to the Hobart hearing of the Aged Care Royal Commission (ACRC), The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) will be renewing calls to Tasmanian Aged Care Providers to make mandate minimum staffing ratios in support of the ACRC interim report. The call is to act now on the serious neglect of residents in residential aged care facilities.

‘The ANMF Tasmanian Branch in conjunction with all ANMF branches across Australia have for years highlighted the serious concerns with the poor staffing levels in residential aged care facilities that has meant nurses and care workers are not able to provide the quality care to residents they would like to provide simply because it is physically impossible and the ACRC interim report goes some way to supporting this.’ -Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary.

The Hobart hearing’s terms of reference will be focussing on Southern Cross Care facilities, as well as Bupa South Hobart, which both employ ANMF members. Members at these facilities and other aged care workplaces across the State frequently seek ANMF support during enterprise agreement negotiations where they seek to increase staffing levels to address the safety risk their current staffing levels pose to residents, themselves and their colleagues. In 2017/2018 ANMF supported Southern Cross Care Staff in an industrial campaign that included stop work meetings titled ‘Southern Cross Care Don’t Care’ in an attempt to address poor staffing levels at these facilities. The campaign sought to increase staff numbers through recruitment and retention by improving renumeration, while also addressing the need for members working at Southern Cross Care facilities to gain access to adequate resources overall to ensure Safe and Quality resident care.

The evidence and harrowing stories likely to be submitted during hearings of the ACRC next week will come as no surprise to the ANMF and those working within the aged care sector. The issues are widespread and long standing, and providers have both the financial and operational means to address these now. With significant federal funding tied to the ACFI instrument improving staffing levels through implementation of ratios by providers will immediately see increased safety, quality of care and resident and family satisfaction with the residential aged care sector.’ -Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary.

The ANMF urgently call upon Tasmanian Federal politicians Richard Colbeck and Julie Collins to endorse legislated ratios prior to the final report of the ACRC to ensure residents in residential aged care need not suffer any longer.

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Media contact: 
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.shepherd@anmftas.org.au

Published 7th November 2019