What the Budget missed for Nurses and Midwives
27 May 2022
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) will be communicating with members today regarding the budget bottom line, which is a budget that will continue to see Nurses and Midwives in the red.
The ANMF had hoped that this budget may have shown that the Tasmanian Government is not completely out of touch with the challenges our members are facing across the Tasmanian Health System.
‘Unfortunately, what we have seen is a government that clearly have no insight into the major risk that the Tasmanian Health System is facing when it comes to having a workforce to deliver health services, said ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary, Emily Shepherd.’
‘Across Australia we are seeing other states aggressively recruiting precious nurses and midwives with incentives and excellent conditions, this will leave Tasmania out of the competition for resources which we desperately need and are in short supply.
What the Budget needed was a crisis taskforce for the nursing and midwifery workforce that would result in:
- 600 FTE additional Nurses
- 50 FTE additional Midwives
- Scholarships for Midwifery students so that they can be paid in their first year.
- A range of incentives to attract and retain members in the highest risk areas such Emergency Departments, Intensive Care, Midwifery
‘Unfortunately, this budget has been another blow to Nurses and Midwives who were holding onto hope that the budget would deliver the critical resources required to support a workforce whose morale is hanging by a thread. If action is not taken soon, the current staffing crisis is likely to worsen placing the Tasmanian Health Service and Community at risk.’
The ANMF will now consult with members about escalation of industrial action given that this budget is likely to further reduce the goodwill of members that the Tasmanian Government are continuing to rely on to run the health system.
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Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au