Government fails to implement nursing and midwifery workforce commitments
24 January 2024
Media Doorstop
When: TODAY, Wednesday 24 January at 2:00pm
Where: ANMF Office, 19 Brisbane Street, Launceston
Who: ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary, Emily Shepherd
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) are dismayed and frustrated to learn from members that the commitments made by the Tasmanian Government in 2022 following industrial action have not been fully implemented. These commitments pertain to the comprehensive implementation of the Government’s Nursing and Midwifery Recruitment and Retention and Pandemic Workload Management Plan.
While the ANMF acknowledges that some of the commitments have been implemented, including the standing offer of permanent positions to all graduate nurses, the reality is that fundamental commitments to address the workforce challenges are yet to be fully implemented. The commitment to implement clinical coaches in all clinical areas with a workforce of 30% or more with less than 3 years’ experience has not been implemented in all areas that meet this criteria and its leading to significant workload pressures with multiple grievances in train.
The ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary, Emily Shepherd, said today that ‘The commitment to clinical coaches is a cornerstone of the workforce plan to support the nursing and midwifery professions, which are suffering from significant workforce shortages and a dire need to ensure comprehensive support for new staff and those transitioning from other sectors. It is also incredibly frustrating for members whose morale is at an all-time low, to know that commitments made in 2022 by the Tasmanian Government following an incredibly challenging time in the COVID-19 pandemic, have not been prioritised, funded and implemented’.
The ANMF understand that the reason many of these roles have not been implemented is because insufficient funding was provided for the commitments and hospitals already grappling with funding constraints haven’t had the budget to implement them.
The ANMF is currently surveying members in terms of their workload pressures and industrial action is actively being considered.
‘Our members have been raising workforce concerns for years and are still suffering from workloads as a result of many vacancies and yet, the Government is still not funding commitments designed to improve the situation. It really is frustrating, and members are just fed up’.
The ANMF will continue to consult with members and take their direction as to how they wish to proceed on this matter.
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Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au