30 November 2022
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has welcomed the Albanese Government’s urgent intervention to stop aged care providers from laying-off highly-trained Enrolled Nurses (EN) and replacing them with personal care workers (PCW) in aged care facilities.
Southern Cross Care Tasmania is making ENs redundant, substituting them with extended care workers. Some providers in South Australia are also substituting ENs with a combination of Registered Nurses (RN) and Personal Care Workers (PCW), whilst in NSW some ENs are reportedly being offered care worker contracts.
Responding to the ANMF’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of its members, Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler and Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells said they were ‘highly concerned that Southern Cross Care in Tasmania is laying-off enrolled nurses because of incorrect claims these roles are no longer funded by the Government’.
“It is unacceptable that after the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that a small minority of providers are looking to lower the standard of care available to residents in aged care facilities,” the Ministers said in a statement.
ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said she was pleased the Government had listened to our concerns.
“ENs play a vital role in providing quality, safe care to vulnerable, elderly Australians living in aged care facilities,” Ms Dabars said.
“The ANMF (SA Branch) has strongly advocated for a defined skills mix of 30 per cent Registered Nurses, 20 per cent Enrolled Nurses and 50 per cent Personal Care Assistants / Assistants in Nursing.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with the Government to ensure that it mandates specified minimum RN/EN/PCW care minutes.
ANMF (SA Branch) members should contact Member Assist if they have concerns about staff changes at their workplace.