Canberra Liberals MLA Leanne Castley, Shadow Minister for Health, will put forward a motion in the Legislative Assembly today for the ACT Government to develop a strategy and introduce bonuses to retain and value frontline health workers.
Following reports of unsafe staffing levels in several units in the ACT health system over the past three years, Ms Castley claims the Labor-Greens government cannot retain crucial frontline workers.
1,337 staff had left Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital, and Mental Health and Community Services since 2020-21, Ms Castley said a question taken on notice during estimates hearings revealed.
“What the Labor-Greens government is currently doing to retain staff is clearly not working, and that is why the Canberra Liberals are calling for retention bonuses or other incentives to be explored,” Ms Castley said.
“Other states have offered a wide range of incentives to attract and retain frontline staff, and if the ACT fails to offer similar, then we will continue to firstly lose staff to other states and fail to attract the staff we need in Canberra.”
Radiation therapists at Canberra Hospital recently walked off the job, Ms Castley said; a third of workers in their team had left during the last three years.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Ms Castley said. “Other departments at the Canberra Hospital, including the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, Cardiology unit, Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and the Paediatrics and Child at Risk Health Unit also suffer from unsafe staffing levels.
“It has become abundantly clear that the Health Minister and Labor-Greens government is unable or unwilling to address these significant staffing issues that are plaguing our health system, and it is time for them to explain how they intend to retain current frontline health workers.
“Our hardworking nurses, doctors, and midwives deserve much better than what they are currently getting under this Labor-Greens government, and they are crying out for a proper retention strategy that will go towards not only retaining staff but valuing them.”
