Monday, 1 March 2004, 11:45 am Press Release: Green Party
More nurses mean safer patients, say Greens
Too few
nurses working on our hospital wards is putting patient
safety at risk, Green MP Sue Kedgley warned today.
The
Green Party is backing a call from the Nurses Organisation
for a binding ratio of one nurse to between four and six
patients, depending on the size of hospital.
"Nurses are
struggling under excessive workloads," Ms Kedgley, the Green
Health spokesperson, said. "Until we put in place safe
staffing ratios, patient safety will continue to be
compromised and our young, talented nursing staff will head
overseas to countries where their skills are recognised and
rewarded."
Ms Kedgley said she was astonished that the
Ministry of Health was opposing what most people would agree
were sensible recommendations from the Nurses
Organisation.
"Until the Ministry pulls its head out of
the sand and accepts that we have a nursing crisis we will
continue to suffer chronic nursing shortages in the
profession and patient safety will continue to be
compromised."
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