Aged Care
Budget 2022: ANMF tells Scott Morrison he has failed to do his job
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has criticised last night’s budget stating the lack of sustainable funding and real reform for health and aged care. This shows that Prime Minister Scott Morrison has failed to ‘do his job’ to restore and rebuild Australia’s public health system and the private aged care sector.
“Yet again, Mr Morrison has failed to do his job. We’re disappointed that the Budget has let down our critical health and aged workforce.” says ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler.
Despite repeated calls from the sector the government has given no indication in the budget that they are willing to increase aged care workers pay, instead opting for modest funding for some preventative health initiatives and increased paid parental leave (PPL) provisions.
“We all know that the failures in care for the elderly are not one-off, exceptional or occasional – they are widespread. We have all seen the heart breaking consequences of the Government’s continued inaction – it simply must not continue.” says ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler.
The Aged Care Royal Commission report last year, warned the aged care sector was suffering due to a chronic worker shortage and that those working in the sector were underpaid and undervalued.
Despite being warned about chronic staffing shortages, and in light of the devastating impact of COVID on the sector, this budget from the Morrison Government was more interested in ‘playing politics’ than fixing aged care. One year into the Government’s five-year ‘reform program’, nothing has improved, in fact the situation according to the ANMF “has only become worse.”
As ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler put it “The Government cannot ignore the plight of nursing home residents, nurses and care workers, by failing to implement the Royal Commission’s key recommendations – safe minimum staffing levels, increased wages for aged care workers and genuine accountability for taxpayers’ money.
“We ask Mr Morrison, how many preventable deaths do there need to be and how many dedicated nurses or aged care workers need to be driven from their jobs before he finally fixes chronic staffing shortages, causing so much pain and suffering in the country’s nursing homes?”
The ANMF is demanding real reform for health and aged care, calling on the Opposition, the Greens and Independents to work with stakeholders and commit to: an increase in funding for public health and maternity systems; fund and legislate mandated staffing ratios in private aged care; improve wages and conditions for the depleted aged care workforce; legislate clear transparency measures to ensure that taxpayer-funds for aged care providers are tied-to direct care; provide equal rights for working women, starting with eradicating the gender pay and superannuation gap and address the health impacts of the climate crisis in Australia and the Pacific Region.
Katherine says
News this morning, the coalition is stacking public service jobs, top positions with coalition members, ‘jobs for the boys’ in other words.
At least 4 billion to the French for welching on the subs deal.
The coalition are so puffed up with themselves.
Why did the taxpayer fund a royal commission into aged care, send in the army, send out a call for retired, and PT nurses to rush in and save their face?
( I loved how the retired nurses were given a vague wobble about the impact this would have on their pensions. )
No mention of parity with current award wages, or god forbid, specialty money.
I’d hazard a guess there would be a sly appeal for overseas nurses to stuff into the system, it usually happens. The back door to a visa.
It could be so different.
Fine things could be possible, home help extended, fitness/activity programs and research, creativity in management, gardens! Care pets! Music!
Most of all, turn around despair, to:
Nurses looking for a bright future.
Mr Albanese, a nation turns its aging eyes to you, turn a disaster around, don’t ignore the royal commission. We paid for it. Listen.
Mr Albanese, once we get the ball rolling, creative thinking will come, put the right people in the job, pay them good money, and listen to what they suggest, then change the ignorance to optimism about older Australians.
As the world grows darker and uncaring dictators dismantle the social dreams of ordinary people, Australia can reinforce, update and refresh its fundamental values.
We can take the lead from our indigenous past, to treasure our elders, as our future depends on them.