Skip navigation

Greens to Introduce Bill for Nurse to Patient Ratios

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
1 April 2022

As nurses and midwives go on strike for a second time in a decade, Greens MP and health spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has given  notice in the NSW Upper House of her intention to introduce a bill to legislate nurse-to-patient ratios in NSW, a key demand of striking nurses and midwives.

The Safe Patient Care (Nurse-to-Patient and Midwife-to-Patient Ratios) Bill 2022 will be based upon the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association’s Ratios, Pay and Conditions Award Claim 2022 and consultation undertaken with key stakeholders before being introduced and debated. 

“Nurses and midwives are at breaking point. It’s time for the government to listen to their calls for safe nurse to patient ratios so that patients get a safe level of care,” said Ms Faehrmann. 

“Chronic understaffing is dangerous for patients and it's dangerous for nurses and midwives. The Government has refused to listen to the pleas of our frontline healthcare workers, so if they don’t legislate ratios to make our hospitals safe again, the Greens will.

“This Government loves to splash cash on new hospitals but when it comes to ensuring there are enough frontline healthcare workers to actually work in them it cries poor. 

“If the Government continues to ignore frontline healthcare workers it risks triggering mass resignations and a full blown public health crisis.

“Both Queensland and Victoria have legislated nurse to patient ratios with South Australia actively considering the issue. With nurses and midwives indicating they will strike until their demands for a safe workplace are listened to, I’m calling on the NSW Government to do the same,” said Ms Faehrmann. 

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
1 April 2022
SHARE:

THE LATEST NEWS

MEDIA RELEASE

Auditor-General Report confirms Government is failing to reduce poker machine harm

A Performance Audit by the NSW Auditor-General released today into the Regulation of Gaming Machines exposes the Minns Government’s ongoing failure to effectively regulate poker machines in order to reduce the substantial harm they cause, says NSW Greens MP and gambling harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.

PARLIAMENT

Road Transport Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis-Exemptions from Offences) Bill 2025

As The Greens spokesperson for drug law reform and harm reduction, I am proud to once again introduce a bill into this place that seeks to right an injustice in our road laws that makes criminals out of thousands of people in this State for doing nothing wrong. The Road...

MEDIA RELEASE

Minns must stop dragging his feet on Warragamba flood mitigation measures

As Hawkesbury residents brace themselves for the threat of yet another flood, Greens MP and water spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has renewed calls for the NSW Government to act on recommendations to use Warragamba Dam as a flood mitigation tool. 

MEDIA RELEASE

Minns fare-free day gift for commuter chaos woeful - make it a week

The move by the Premier to compensate for the rail chaos which has disrupted Sydneysiders lives for the last two days by offering a fare free day on Monday is woeful and totally inadequate given how much it’s impacted people,  said Cate Faehrmann, Greens MP and transport spokesperson. 


CAMPAIGNS