The jobs of 1112 nurses across NSW will be saved in a $572m pre-budget commitment to boost hospital staffing shortfalls.
The funds have been allocated in the upcoming budget and will be spent in the three years beginning from 2024-25.
Previously they were only guaranteed funding up until June 30, 2024, after they were originally hired as a Covid measure.
However Premier Chris Minns said it was important to bolster the workforce to reduce the elective surgery waiting list, and emergency room wait times. It would also help bolster the staff who are struggling with high rates of burnout, and overwork.
“We need these nurses working around the clock on behalf of the taxpayers of this state,” he said.
“To withdraw that kind of labour from a health system already under pressure would be devastating for NSW‘s public health.”
Health Minister Ryan Park said the new permanent position would be critical to ensuring the government will be able to meet its safe staffing commitments of one nurse for every three patients in emergency rooms and one nurse per four patients in wards.
In addition to the $572m budget injection, the government has also committed to hiring an additional 1200 nurses and midwives in its first term.
“The reality is under the previous government, we wouldn’t have been able to do this reform,” said Mr Park.
“Hospitals alone don’t deliver health care, it’s the men and women of the NSW’s health system who do,” he said.
As it stands, the 1112 full-time nurses and midwives are currently working across the following LHDs, with the majority of saved roles from Hunter New England and South Western Sydney.
138.2 nurses in the Hunter New England LHD
119.2 nurses in South Western Sydney LHD
109.1 nurses in Western Sydney LHD
104.4 nurses in South Eastern Sydney LHD
99.4 nurses in Sydney LHD
82 nurses in Northern Sydney LHD
61.4 nurses in Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
57.1 nurses in Central Coast LHD
56.1 nurses in Western NSW LHD
51 nurses in Northern NSW LHD
50 nurses in Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
43.3 nurses in Mid North Coast LHD
41.6 nurses in Murrumbidgee LHD
41 nurses in Childrens Hospital Network
26.6 nurses in Southern NSW LHD
6.5 nurses in Far West LHD
3.0 nurses in HealthShare
1.7 nurses in Pathology NSW
1.1 nurses in Ambulance Service of NSW