Hospital and Health Boards (Safe Nurse-to-Patient and Midwife-to-Patient Ratios) Amendment Bill 2015

Overview

This bill puts minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios into Queensland law for the first time. It amends the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 so the government can legally require public hospitals to staff prescribed wards at set ratios, with the initial targets being 1 nurse or midwife for every 4 patients on day shifts and 1 for every 7 at night.

Who it affects

Patients on prescribed wards in Queensland public hospitals, along with the nurses and midwives working on them. Hospital and Health Services must comply with the ratios and report on how they are tracking, with the Minister able to grant short-term exemptions in exceptional circumstances.

Key changes

• Legally mandates minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios in public sector health facilities for the first time in Queensland
• Initial ratios of 1:4 on morning and afternoon shifts and 1:7 on night shifts, phased in from 1 July 2016
• Lets the Minister grant temporary exemptions to a Hospital and Health Service of up to 3 months (extendable once, to a maximum of 6 months continuous)
• Allows the Queensland Health chief executive to issue binding workload management standards covering how staffing is calculated and evaluated
• Requires Services to report compliance information to the department, which can be published publicly