Any deal between NSW Health and the NSW Nurses Association on working conditions has to respect and reflect the efforts of Community Health nurses, says Independent Member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling.
Mr Besseling met with Community Health nurses last week, who rallied outside his electorate office after learning NSW Health’s response to the nurse/patient ratio campaign had failed to address workload issues in the community health sector.
“It simply doesn’t make sense to treat Community Health nurses as any less important than other nurses,” Mr Besseling said.
“Community Health has a vital role to play in the delivery of health services, and the research that shows improved clinical and financial outcomes for many patients using community health services is well documented.
“Given that out-of-hospital care has been recognised as a growth area for future health care delivery, it is beyond comprehension that the focus of government negotiations over nurse working conditions has effectively treated community nurses as the forgotten cousins to the high drama of emergency care provided at our hospitals.
“I fully support the Community Health sector and the great work they do in keeping people out of hospital through early intervention. It is time the government recognised the work of all nurses as equally significant and a valuable contributor to the sustained health of our residents,” Mr Besseling said.
