29 June 2009

Caring Together: New health support staff for nurses across NSW

NSW Minister for Health, John Della Bosca, announced today that nurses across the
State would be freed up to focus on patient care - not paperwork - with the recruitment of 500 clinical support officers now under way.

Mr Della Bosca said the recruitment was part of the NSW Government’s Caring Together: The Health Action Plan for NSW.

“Job advertisements in regional and metropolitan newspapers are now appearing for the
new positions with 500 being created across the State,” the Minister said.

“Ward-based clinical support officers will assist local nurses with administration and
paperwork relating to recruitment, rostering, stock and supply orders and reports so nursing staff can spend more time caring for patients.”

The initiative will enable senior nurses to focus on coordinating services and care around the needs of each patient, including:

• Responding immediately to any deterioration in a patient's condition
• Supervising the work of junior staff
• Ensuring patients and their families understand what is happening with their care
• Making sure patients’ meals are served appropriately; and
• Making sure ward areas are clean and hygiene standards are maintained.

Potential candidates for the clinical support officer positions should visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/jobs.

“In the 2009-10 State Budget $117 million is being provided to roll out the Caring Together action plan across NSW,” Mr Della Bosca said.

"As the Garling Report points out, NSW has one of the better public health care systems in the developed world but we need to meet the challenges of increasing health costs and an ageing population.

“The Caring Together action plan is the result of extensive consultation across the State and from working closely with doctors, nurses and other health staff.

“These initiatives are only the beginning of important changes to continue to deliver the best possible health care and to ensure on-going patient care and safety.

“While the NSW Government is getting on with the job of improving health services, Barry O’Farrell and the Opposition Health spokeswoman have a plan to wreck the public health system,” Mr Della Bosca said.

“They want to double the number of area health services from eight to 20, drowning patients in red tape and ripping $300 million out of frontline services. Their reckless plan will put patient care and safety in jeopardy,” Mr Della Bosca said.

“It will cost the equivalent of 3,500 frontline nursing staff and not deliver one extra service to patients.

“It is a prime example of the Opposition’s ineptitude when it comes to policy development. They have no practical plan and no vision when it comes to health services,” he added.

For a range of health information, go online to www.health.nsw.gov.au