At the last Queensland election, the QNMU secured various commitments from the government to expand minimum safe staffing ratios – specifically, to conduct ratios trials in key areas. As a result of these commitments, Queensland Health is completing a number of trials, including in one Operating Theatre, two Emergency Departments, one Maternity Ward and two Prison Health Services.

These trials were conducted for six months and are due to conclude on 30 June 2023.
 
Thank you to all QNMU members who participated in these trials. Now our attention is turning to the evaluation.

The UQ Centre for Business Economics and Health (which employs nurses and midwives) is currently undertaking an independent evaluation and commenced this work in March 2023.

UQ plan to engage key stakeholders through workshops and as part of the quantitative and qualitative data collection.

It is expected that UQ will have the independent evaluation report available to the Director-General of Queensland Health by the end of 2023 for further consideration. This report and its recommendations will inform the QNMU’s continued campaign for legislated ratios to be expanded further in areas that demonstrated a positive outcome.

The QNMU remains firmly committed to getting legislated minimum safe staffing ratios rolled out wherever nursing and midwifery care is delivered in Queensland, in accordance with our Ratios Save Lives and Money Phase 3 claims document (which you can view at www.qnmu.org.au/RatiosSaveLives).