Community backs Bega Nurses

Public rally sends a clear message to Sydney

The Member for Bega Andrew Constance has thrown his weight behind Bega Nurses giving a commitment to fight for better working conditions at a local level and offering assistance to make representations to the Premier and Treasurer.

"People in the community need to contact my office directly with their concerns about nursing so that I can make the necessary representations to the key decision makers within the Carr Labor Government," Mr Constance said.

"The nurses in Bega do a top job in trying circumstances and I know the community are enormously grateful for their contribution to well being of patients throughout the Bega Valley.

"The Government must recognise that nurses continue to leave the public hospital system faster than they are recruited.

"The Carr Government has shown no commitment to retaining experienced nurses by improving resources and morale.

"It is now more than three years since former Health Minister Craig Knowles launched the Nurses Reconnect program, when he said there were 1700 nursing vacancies in NSW.

"Despite $4.2 million spent on the program in three years, in February this year the Government admitted there are now 1800 vacancies - meaning Nurses Reconnect has been an expensive flop.

"The reality is that 97,000 nurses are registered in NSW, yet only about 34,000 (34.5%) are prepared to work in the public hospital system. (incl. registered and enrolled nurses - source: NSW Health Annual Report).

"Since 1995/96, the number of registered & enrolled nurses in NSW has grown by 10.3% but the number of nurses employed in the NSW public health system has only grown by 4%. Nurses are abandoning the system in droves because of a lack of resourcing and support.

"Until the Carr Government makes the public hospital more attractive for nurses to work in, the number of nurses recruited will continue to be irrelevant," Mr Constance said.

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