Thread by @the_shb

It's important to urgently clarify what the Royal Commission recommended re: Registered Nurses being on-site in aged care facilities 24/7, what the Morrison govt said in its RC response, and the different claim Anne Ruston made yesterday. Short thread #auspol

The RC made two key recommendations re: staffing. The first was a requirement of a minimum number of care minutes per resident per day, with a proportion of those to be delivered by an RN. The second was that an RN should be on-site in all aged care homes 24/7 #auspol #agedcare

Different types of nurses work in aged care, including enrolled nurses & RNs. The RC recommended RNs on-site 24/7 in particular because RNs are highly trained, can administer pain medications, and their presence reduces hospital transfers & enhances palliative care #auspol

In its formal response to the Royal Commission, the Morrison govt did NOT commit to mandating the presence of an RN 24/7 in aged care. It committed to mandating an RN for 16 hours a day as of 1 October 2023. There is no formal commitment for RNs 24/7 #auspol #agedcare

Morrison also did not commit to either the RC's proposed timeline for mandating care minutes, nor its recommended number of minutes. RC rec was 200 minutes w/ 40 mins of RN care by 1 July 2022, to be increased to 215 mins with 44 mins of RN care by 1 July 2024 #auspol #agedcare

Morrison govt only commits to 200 mins per resident per day with 40 mins delivered by an RN, with no increase to 215 mins/44 mins RN - and stretched out the implementation timeline to 1 Oct 2023. And, to recap, no commitment for 24/7 RNs. #auspol #agedcare

Which brings us to Anne Ruston's comments yesterday. Ruston said, and I quote, "We have accepted the recommendation of the royal commission for nursing staff to be on premises 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Carefully chosen words. Does Ruston mean RNs? #auspol #agedcare

There is ZERO mention of 24/7 RNs in the federal government's written response to the Royal Commission. Here is a screenshot for total clarity and to avoid any confusion. The government only commits to mandating RNs onsite for 16 hrs, to become mandatory from 1 Oct 2023. #auspol

Ruston also said yesterday that "we also accepted the royal commission’s recommendation that it would take us until 2024 to be able to do this in a way that didn’t have detrimental and consequential impacts on other areas of the healthcare sector that rely on our nursing staff."

There is absolutely no mention of this 2024 timeline anywhere in the federal government's response to the Royal Commission either. Where is Ruston getting this? Is this now formal government policy? If so, why isn't it mentioned in last year's or this year's budget? #auspol

It is critically important that Ruston, Morrison et al. don't get away with conflating two important but distinct issues: minimum care minutes, and 24/7 RNs. They are related but distinct recommendations. The govt has formally committed to one but not the other #auspol #ausvotes

Finally, in last night's #debate, Morrison was off by TWO YEARS re: when his own govt will implement staffing minimums in aged care. Morrison said 2025 last night, but his government's formal response to the RC said Oct 2023. The RC itself recommended July 2022. #auspol