The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association has farewelled outgoing NSW Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research, Jillian Skinner, following the announcement of her retirement today.
Acting General Secretary of the NSWNMA, Judith Kiejda, said Mrs Skinner had been formidable as Health Minister over the past six years and a further 14 years in opposition as the Shadow Minister for Health.
“Naturally, Mrs Skinner has held many differing views to our Association on a range of public health care policies – that is to be expected in a robust democracy such as ours,” Mrs Kiejda said.
“To her credit, Mrs Skinner recognised the vital role of nursing and midwifery staff in the delivery of public health care, in particular, through the continued use of nurse-to-patient ratios, introduced by the previous government in early 2011.
“Each year we have lobbied for that staffing model to be improved and expanded across the state’s public health system and will continue to do so on behalf of our 63,000 nursing and midwifery members.”
The NSWNMA has confirmed it will continue to urge the NSW Government and incoming Minister for Health to strengthen nurse-to-patient ratios, halt the privatisation of public hospitals throughout the state and address the critical staff shortage currently plaguing the growing aged care sector
