Kat THEOPHANOUS (Northcote) : I am delighted to rise to speak in support of this wonderful, wonderful bill about nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios. Nurses and midwives truly are the best of us. The knowledge and skill they bring to Victoria’s healthcare system is a core part of what makes it world class – and make no mistake, it is world class. The contribution of this critical workforce extends well beyond the clinical. Our nurses and midwives embody that special relationship of trust that exists between patients and our health system. In moments of vulnerability Victorians rely on the care, dedication and expertise of these highly qualified professionals. It is a bond that demands our deep respect and understanding just as much as it demands our continued support to empower nurses and midwives to deliver the level of care they know their patients need. That is why, as a Labor government, we will always listen deeply to our nurses and midwives and why in 2022 we committed to further protecting and strengthening the nurse-to-patient ratios that we had embedded in our last term. We committed to this because nurses and midwives told us it is critical to improving patient outcomes and the well being of the workforce. We know how much additional pressure has been put on our health system and health workers and the unprecedented demand that has flowed on from the acute phase of the pandemic. We also know that the research tells us that better ratios mean lower mortality rates, shorter stays, less re admissions and better outcomes for both patients and workers.
The logic and the benefits are crystal clear, which is why this bill sets in stone one-to-one ICU nurse ratios, meaning every occupied ICU bed in level 1 and 2 hospitals will have a dedicated nurse on shift, so there is always one-to-one care. Plus for the first time ICUs will require a team leader and a liaison nurse. The bill improves emergency department resuscitation staffing, so morning shifts in ED resuscitation cubicles will now have the same staffing levels as afternoon and night shifts, improving care around the clock. It reduces midwife-to-patient ratios on night shifts. Midwives in postnatal and antenatal wards will care for a maximum of four patients each, down from six, giving new patients and babies more support. Standalone high-dependency units and coronary care units will now have an in-charge nurse on night shifts, ensuring strong leadership and oversight. These changes will help deliver safer, more consistent care across our hospitals and back our health workers to do what they do best – care for Victorians.
Almost 6 per cent of working residents in my electorate of Northcote are employed in hospitals. It is the single largest proportion of workers in any one industry in my patch. So these changes have deep, real-life impact for countless people in my community – not just for those individuals but for their families, their patients and the flow-on wellbeing to our community.
Nurse-to-patient ratios were of course introduced back in 2000, but they were almost lost when the former Liberal government tried to force our nurses and midwives to trade them away in enterprise agreement negotiations. That taught us a valuable lesson. These ratios must be protected, and Labor is the party that will protect them. It is why in 2015 we made Victoria the first state to enshrine the ratios into law and why we are here again making them stronger.
Importantly, this is not a standalone measure. Our work to support our health workforce and our health system goes well beyond ratios. Since coming into government Labor has expanded Victoria’s healthcare workforce by nearly 50 per cent. That is an additional 40,000 more nurses, midwives, doctors and allied health professionals on the ground delivering the care Victorians rely on. We have delivered a historic 28.4 per cent pay increase, helping to retain and recruit more nurses and midwives. The new agreement also embodies better opportunities for career progression, improved night shift penalties, more access to flexible work arrangements and the right-to-disconnect clause.
There is a reason health workers travel from across the world to be in our hospitals and our health services. They know we have backed our health workers every step of the way with better pay, better conditions and the resources they need to do their jobs to a world-class standard. In this year’s budget alone we have invested an additional $1.5 billion on top of the $8.8 billion already committed, bringing total health funding to more than $20 billion, making up over a quarter of Victoria’s entire budget. We are not just funding services; we are building the future of health care, with $15 million in health infrastructure projects. One of these critical projects is upgrading the emergency department at the Austin Hospital. This upgrade is so important to my community. As our suburbs continue to grow, it will enable the ED to treat an additional 30,000 patients each year.
In Northcote we also have a commitment to an early parenting centre, another fantastic service and initiative spearheaded by our Labor government. These centres are there to support families in those crucial early stages, providing wraparound and multidisciplinary support for both parents and children. The care team includes nurses, midwives, social workers and parenting practitioners. They are there for families when things get too overwhelming, and that so often happens when you have little babies. Families get support with sleep and settling, bonding and mental health in the safety and comfort of individual overnight rooms or through day-stay programs. It is an extraordinary public health service, one that speaks to the village of support that is needed in raising a child. None of these incredibly important services would be possible without the workforce that supports them, our healthcare workers, working within a strong, well-funded public health system.
Victoria is ultracompetitive when it comes to attracting a skilled health workforce. Under our Labor government we have supported countless initiatives like sign-on bonuses, making it free to study nursing and midwifery, delivering Australia’s first paramedic practitioners and dedicated funding for women’s health practitioners. As Parliamentary Secretary for Women’s Health, I know we have also done some things that probably get a little less media attention but which are critically important – things like removing barriers that had prevented midwives from working to their full scope of practice, something that has now unlocked a whole world of accessible care, particularly for rural and regional communities.
Indeed, the rollout of our historic women’s health reforms has hugely benefited from the involvement of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, and in particular I would like to give a shout-out to assistant secretary Madeleine Harradence, who is on our Victorian Women’s Health Advisory Council. Maddie does a superb job of flying the flag for nurses in the context of women’s health, and we are working closely on the rollout of additional sexual and reproductive health hubs, our first dedicated women’s health clinic, a mobile and virtual clinic and an Aboriginal women’s health clinic. This year we will also be launching the findings of our inquiry into women’s pain as part of our holistic approach to improving care for Victorian women and girls.
Listening to and supporting our nurses and midwives is essential, not just to keep them engaged and employed in our health services but to inspire them to grow in their careers and mentor the next generation. It is about valuing their dedication and ensuring they remain on the front line, delivering the exceptional care our community relies on. It is an investment that pays off every single day, strengthening our health system and caring for those who need it most. I do want to mention that investing in this predominantly female workforce has another important element, and that is driving real change towards gender equality.
We have moved well beyond the outdated idea that those that dedicate their lives to caring for others should do it purely out of goodwill without fair pay. Not only do our nurses and midwives deserve our respect, they deserve the pay and conditions that match the vital role they play in our society. By valuing and fairly compensating those in this historically undervalued industry, we are taking meaningful steps to close the gender pay gap.
Before I finish I want to take a moment to thank the thousands of dedicated health workers in Northcote and more broadly in Victoria. As the member for Northcote and in my role as parliamentary secretary I have heard so many anecdotes from people who are deeply grateful for the care they have received in our health system. Despite the anguish that comes with any health crisis, what resonates, what people so often remember, is the nurse who sat by their side in the middle of the night, the paramedic who arrived in a moment of crisis and the doctor and midwife who guided them through the rollercoaster of childbirth. Health workers do not just treat illness and injury, they provide comfort and reassurance and strength when people need it most. They are there on our darkest days through uncertainty, pain and fear as well as in moments of joy, relief and the magic of life itself. It is not easy work. I do not want to romanticise it. There are long shifts and there is vicarious trauma; there is a toll that these roles take. That is why it is so important that we value this workforce, that we invest in them and that we give them the conditions that they deserve.
