Speakers on the night emphasized the point that good nurse to patient ratios ensured a safe level of care and decreased the risk of patients dying. 

While metropolitan hospitals generally had enough staff, they said maintaining the correct ratio of nurses to patients was more difficult in rural and regional areas such as Goulburn. 

NSW Nurses and Midwives Union organiser Matt Doherty said what was needed were ratios of: 1:3 in emergency departments and 1:4 in rural and regional hospital wards. 

He also pointed out that babies needed to be counted in ratios for safer staffing in maternity services. 

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association delegate for the Bourke Street Health Service Stuart Chapman said nursing was a stressful job.

“Many of us burn out quickly through having to work strange hours,” he said. 

“Ratios would allow us to give more time to patients. Just because a patient is in Goulburn and not the city does not mean they deserve less care and respect. To look after patients you need to look after nurses. 

Labor candidate for Goulburn Ursula Stephens said regional patients miss out on nursing care because of current nursing formula.

“A 2016 study shows more than 26,000 hours of lost care in regional hospitals because the staffing was not there to deliver the care that was needed,” Ms Stephens said. 

Mr Doherty said opposition leader Luke Foley had committed to implementing ratios if Labor was elected when he visited Goulburn to address union members. 

“He has also committed in principle to this at the State Labor Conference.” 

Although she was an apology on the night, a statement by member for Goulburn Pru Goward was read out.  

“There are ongoing discussions abut rostering and better support for the workforce,” Ms Goward said. 

“In recent award just finalized with nurses and midwives, NSW Health will deliver a four-week in advance roster at the request of the nurses and midwives.”

She said from 2011-2018 there had been an increase of 16,000 medical, nursing and allied health staff across NSW. 

“Goulburn has benefited. This year another 950 nurses and midwives, 300 doctors, 525 allied health workers will be employed in NSW,” she said. 

“The current system for rostering nurses was agreed to under the former state labor government. The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association call these ratios - we call them nursing hours per patient day, which gives more flexibility and aligns them more to patient needs.”