Incoming briefings provided to the Minns Labor Government revealed that the previous Liberal Government left 1,112 temporary nurses unfunded beyond the 2024-25 fiscal year.
This includes dozens of unfunded nurses in 14 local health districts (LHDs) along with the Childrens Hospital Network.
This massive funding black hole includes no funding allocated for:
• 138.2 nurses in the Hunter New England LHD
• 119.2 nurses in South Western Sydney LHD
• 109.1 nurses in Western Sydney LHD
• 104.4 nurses in South Eastern Sydney LHD
• 99.4 nurses in Sydney LHD
• 82 nurses in Northen Sydney LHD
• 61.4 nurses in Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
• 57.1 nurses in Central Coast LHD
• 56.1 nurses in Western NSW LHD
• 51 nurses in Northern NSW LHD
• 50 nurses in Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
• 43.3 nurses in Mid North Coast LHD
• 41.6 nurses in Murrumbidgee LHD
• 41 nurses in Childrens Hospital Network
• 26.6 nurses in Southern NSW LHD
During Question time today, in response to a member of the government addressing the former government’s budget mismanagement – which left these 1,112 essential health workers unfunded – the former treasurer and current Shadow Minister for Health Matt Kean interjected to inform the house these were ‘COVID recovery nurses’.
“The Minister is being deliberately quarrelsome, misleading the house about nurses that were COVID recovery nurses,” Mr Kean admitted to the chamber.
The Shadow Health Minister confirmed that the Coalition’s intention was to sack 1,112 nurses – at a time the NSW health system is under immense pressure.
The Liberals and Nationals failure to fund our essential workers is just one element of a $7 billion black hole uncovered by the Minns Government which included:
• a funding shortfall of $700 million for children living in out of home care; and
• a school repair backlog of $1.2 billion
Moreover, Matt Keans mismanagement of the budget has left the new government with record debt, which is on track to pass $187 billion – the equivalent of around $22,000 for every resident of NSW.
Minister for Health and Regional Health, Ryan Park said:
“Matt Kean has confirmed what we all knew, but they were too cowardly to admit before the election – the Coalition government had no intention of continuing to fund these essential nurses.
“The fact is, even post-COVID, our health system is under immense pressure and we cannot afford to lose thousands of nurses.
“Matt Kean’s budget mismanagement put our essential services in dire risk.
“We have been upfront with the people of NSW about the challenges we have inherited with the budget and essential services.
“Labor is committed to managing our finances responsibly and rebuilding our essential services.”