Nurses and midwives working in the NSW public health system can expect to start receiving their 4% wage increase this month.

Last month the Ministry of Health confirmed these changes would be begin from 19 October, with backpay, dated back to July also expected at this time or shortly thereafter.

Not all public sector nurses and midwives are paid in the same pay cycle, therefore some payments may take longer to appear than others, dependent on individual circumstances.

Other workplace improvements secured in the 2023 Nurses’ and Midwives’ Public Health System (state) Award include:

• The right to leave early or be paid overtime on night shift, if your paid meal breaks are not provided
• When working overtime, you will be able to choose between a meal allowance or the provision of a meal
• Nurse Managers Grade 4 and above will be eligible for an on-call allowance
• Improvements to the current Grading Committee process, meaning there will be collaboration on the grading of positions beyond NUMs
• The current 20 days paid domestic and family violence leave will be included in your Award to protect your entitlement
• Five clinical supernumerary days for new graduate nurses and midwives

More work to be done to deliver safe, sustainable ratios

In mid-September the NSW government handed down its first budget. The budget papers showed a $1 billion allocation towards nursing and midwifery positions to deliver safe staffing ratios in five key areas of the public health system.

The government has delivered on its election promise however, the Ministry’s most recent projections show the budget allocation won’t go far enough to cover all wards at all hospitals in the five key areas of emergency departments, intensive care units, postnatal maternity, Multi-Purpose Services, and converting nursing hours wards to shift by shift ratios.

While implementation talks with the Ministry continue as part of the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce, we are also urging the government to increase its funding commitment to ensure this important rollout occurs as it was intended.