Abbott fails health workforce

Date: 05 August 2010

Tony Abbott's plan to fund 2,800 new public hospital beds will create a national nursing workforce crisis and fail to deliver improved health services for the Australian community, according to the Australian Nursing Federation.

Australian Nursing Federation Secretary Lee Thomas said nurses represent the largest section of the health workforce and want to see a health policy that delivers, not one focussed on political point scoring.

"The ANF gives Mr Abbott 2 out of ten for his health policies. He has failed to make a single reference to a workforce plan for nurses, doctors and other health professionals for his promised 800 mental health beds, 2,800 public hospital beds and 2,000 aged care facility beds."

Mr Abbott needs to understand the key to improving Australia's health care system requires more nurses in the public hospital system, more nurses in the mental health sector and more aged care nurses, not just more beds, according to the ANF.

"Today's announcement will compound existing nursing workforce problems in our public hospitals and exposes Mr Abbott's failure to understand the complexities of creating a robust nursing and midwifery workforce," Ms Thomas said.

The ANF says Mr Abbott's job as a potential leader is to offer comprehensive solutions to improve Australia's health system.

"More beds is definitely part of the solution, but more beds without a workforce plan will create more problems", Ms Thomas said. "Where are the Coalition's initiatives and policies to maintain the existing workforce, bring nurses and midwives back into the workforce and grow our nursing and midwifery graduates?"

The ANF welcomed the Coalition plan to provide $150 million for professional development and scholarships but said this would not address the vital issue of workforce planning.

For further information

Contact:	Cathy Beadnell
Union:	Australian Nursing Federation
Contact Mobile:	0400 035 797
WWW:	http://www.anf.org.au/

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