A major provider of aged care in Otago, Presbyterian Support Otago (PSO), has today called on the government to respond to the nurse shortage crisis currently threatening the aged care sector.

The attached open letter was sent today to key government Ministers and local MPs. It includes a personal account about working at the frontline of aged care nursing.

Key facts

• There are over 4000 registered nurses missing from New Zealand’s health workforce, in the wider context of a global shortage of nurses.
• Over 1000 aged care beds in New Zealand have closed due to a lack of nurses. More beds will close if no new nurses are added to the workforce.
• New Zealand is fighting for nursing staff in a competitive environment and is not a country of first choice right now for overseas nurses. This is a direct result of current immigration settings, which require them to come here on a 2-year visa, rather than be granted immediate residency.
• Aged care in NZ is provided by a range of entities: ‘Big corporates’ like Rymans; large charitable organisations like PSO; as well as minor groups and individuals.
• Government funding for nurses in aged care is not at parity with funding for DHB nurses.
• Big corporates are able to cross-subsidise their aged care facilities with profits from their retirement villages, including topping up nurses’ salaries.
• Forty seven percent of aged care beds in NZ are supplied by charitable, minor and individual providers, which equates to 19,250 beds. Nurses in these settings are paid on average, 20% less than DHB nurses. Not for profit providers are generally not able to top up nurses’ salaries without an uplift in contract funding, and therefore are at constant risk of losing staff, resulting in bed closures.

PSO has called on the government to take immediate action by:

1. Altering immigration settings to grant fast track residency to overseas qualified nurses wishing to work in New Zealand, to increase the pool of nurses available.

2. Increasing funding so that pay parity can be achieved for nurses in the aged care sector.

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2207/Letter_to_Ministers_and_MPs_from_CEO_of_PSO_11.7.22.pdf

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