Safe Staffing Accord – to give top-level assurance

Welcoming the ‘Safe Staffing and Care Capacity Demand Management: Effective Implementation Accord’ Chief Executive Memo Musa says he is confident it will, finally, at the top level of Government, address the unsafe staffing levels of the nursing and midwifery workforce which, have been experienced for over a decade in the public sector.

Parties to the Accord are New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), District Health Boards (DHBs) and the Director-General of Health.

For many years the top concern of the New Zealand nursing and midwifery workforce has remained the understaffing and, the resulting unsafe healthcare environment for staff and patients, as previously reported in the NZNO Employment Survey 2017.

“This accord takes hold of this distressing issue at the very top level and we commend the Government for this move,” Memo Musa said.

“The voices of nurses’ and midwives have been heard and their campaigns garnered commitment for urgent change. This Accord is supplementary to the current DHB MECA fifth offer presented to NZNO members.

“Nurses have also said that a reason they leave the profession is because their high standards have been compromised because of unsafe staffing and also because they are dissatisfied by not being able to take time to advance their own skills or to train others. The accord addresses this issue by encouraging many back into the workforce with the commitment to safe staffing.

“NZNO in particular welcomes the pragmatic approach to attracting and retaining more nurses and midwives and the commitment to exploring options for the provision of employment of all New Zealand nursing and midwifery graduates,” Memo Musa said.

Visit: www.beehive.govt.nz for the Minister of Health media release and the detail of the Accord.

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