The NSW Government needs to explain exactly where it will find 10,000 new health workers and how it will attract people to stay amid challenging working conditions in the hospital system, NSW opposition health spokesman Ryan Park said.
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While welcoming Domonic Perrottet's pre-budget announcement that the government plans to hire thousands of new nurses, doctors, paramedics and allied heath staff over the next four years, Mr Park said he remained skeptical about how this would be rolled out.
"This government tends to have an A when it comes to making big announcements with big figures, but an F when it comes to implementation," he said.
"We're skeptical in relation to how we're going to get this many nurses and doctors coming into the system. Where are they going to get these additional staff from?"
Mr Park said anyone entering the health workforce was faced with tough conditions, including record long waits for emergency department treatment, elective surgery and ambulance arrivals.
"These are the realities of a system that has been under-resourced and under-invested, and we would have preferred to see this type of commitment and implementation several years ago when the system started to buckle, rather than when it's reached crisis point," Mr Park said.
He said attracting new workers under challenging working conditions, and without pay rises matching inflation would be difficult.
During Monday's announcement, Mr Perrottet said more than 7600 of the new workers would be employed in the first year, and was confident the government would be able to source these locally.
He also said he would be talking to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about addressing visa delays for overseas workers.
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Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he planned to call on the federal government to make it easier for formerly accredited nursing staff return to the sector.
"What we have found is that people who have been out for more than 10 years have to go through quite an expensive training program and that's regulated at a federal level," he said.
Mr Park also said the $3000 thank you payments for health employees were welcome, but that workers wanted long term security.
"We would have preferred to see an honest discussion with the union movement some time ago, instead of year in year out asking frontline workers to take a pay cut," he said in reaction to the government's plan to lift the public sector wage cap to 3 per cent.
"It seems like too little, too late for many workers who will be frustrated after years of raising this as a concern. Only now it seems like the government wants to pay attention to it, less than 12 months out from an election."
The Health Services Union also welcomed the $3000 bonus, but said the union will keep pushing for the public sector wage cap to be abolished as it says this prevents meaningful wage bargaining.
"For the last three years health and hospital workers have been hit by the ugly combination of the pandemic and short staffing," NSW HSU Secretary Gerard Hayes said.
"Cleaners, paramedics, wardspeople, security and therapists have worked themselves to the bone to keep NSW safe. This payment recognises the reality of what our members have gone through."
"For people on modest incomes, like cleaners and security, it is a massive boost that makes up for the pay freeze of 2020. It will allow many to put in place a financial buffer against the rising cost of living."
He said union members were pleased the NSW Premier was listening to health workers' concerns.
"The HSU will continue to push for the public sector wage cap to be abolished, however," he said.
"We need a system that allows workers to bargain for wages based on the cost of living and productivity, not a system based on the whim of politicians. While we are gratified that the Premier is listening to our concerns we nonetheless want the cap to be scrapped."
Greens health spokesperson Cate Faehrmann also said the wage cap needed to be changed, as the 3 per cent cap would continue to deliver an effective pay cut to public sector workers.
"The new wage cap will see healthcare workers effectively take a pay cut for the 3rd year in a row," she said.
"If the Government doesn't pay healthcare workers properly we will continue to see resignations that our public healthcare system cannot afford."
Independent Kiama MP Gareth Ward has also raised concerns about the announcement, and is seeking details on how much of the $4.5 billion NSW Health workforce funding will be coming to the NSW Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District and how many extra full-time staff our local hospitals will receive.
"10,148 extra full-time staff over the next four years sounds good, but what does that mean for our region?" he said.
"How much of this extra funding will we see and how many extra nursing staff will the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District?"
"I will keep any further praise on hold until we see further detail about what we additional staff our region will be receiving and when it will be delivered.
"We also need a greater focus on the attraction, training and retention of medical and nursing staff across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven - to keep our local nurses in the profession long-term."
"Having spoken to local nurses, I know how hard they work and they need extra support. So many of our nurses are over-worked and stretched the absolute limit."
"Whilst any additional investments in health are welcomed, I'd like to know how this state-wide announcement will benefit our community," Mr Ward concluded.
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association John Hunter and John Hunter Children's' Hospital secretary Rachel Hughes, who's based in the state's Hunter region, said what the government offered was "so insulting that I would have preferred to be offered nothing."
"Just another slap in the face for what we have dealt with over the last few years."
"I'm angry because this isn't what we have been asking for. We are haemorrhaging experienced nurses every day and this is not how to fix the issue," Ms Hughes said.
"We need to address issues around ratios and working conditions. When you can earn more and work under ratios in Queensland and Victoria why would you want to be a nurse in NSW?"
In a more positive reception of the policy, Health Services Union (HSU) secretary Gerard Hayes said the announcements would provide a much-needed "buffer" to the rising cost of living.
"For people on modest incomes, like cleaners and security, it is a massive boost that makes up for the pay freeze of 2020," Mr Hayes said.
"Coming on top of the expansion in the number of health workers announced ... we are pleased the NSW Premier is listening to our concerns and taking action."
However, the HSU will continue to push for the public sector wage cap to be abolished.
"The NSW wages policy prevents meaningful wage bargaining. We need a system that allows workers to bargain for wages based on the cost of living and productivity, not a system based on the whim of politicians."