Ministers and unions warn Southern Cross Care TAS against cutting Enrolled Nurses

Southern Cross Care Tasmania (SCCT) has come under fire for its workforce restructure, with the Government and unions slamming the provider’s potential cuts to Enrolled Nurses (ENs).

The changes – which would impact around 175 employees including ENs, or about 14% of Southern Cross Care’s workforce – have left Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler (above) and Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells (right) “highly concerned”.

In a joint statement, the two Ministers said moves by SCCT and potentially other providers to make ENs redundant are based on “incorrect claims these roles are no longer funded by the Government”, and said such restructures would be to the detriment of both workers and aged care clients.

“Qualified and experienced Enrolled Nurses are a critical component of the aged care workforce, as are those carers who provide direct care to some of the most vulnerable in Australia. “At a time when there has been a significant increase in federal funding for care and when there are acute workforce shortages, we are disappointed that Southern Cross is proposing to terminate the employment of longstanding, experienced and dedicated nursing staff. We strongly urge Southern Cross Care to reconsider its decision,” the Ministers wrote.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has come out swinging at SCCT, with Federal Secretary Annie Butler (pictured) accusing the provider of “cynically” culling ENs as a cost-cutting measure and further burdening Registered Nurses (RNs) in the process.

“Instead of implementing the Royal Commission’s recommendations to increase care minutes for residents, they’re reducing frontline EN positions, replacing them with lower-paid personal care workers – and putting extra workloads on to already burnt-out RNs. “Our members in Tasmania and SA are concerned that cutting the number of frontline ENs will now make it even harder for RNs to cope with these additional workloads and will seriously compromise providers’ capacity to recruit and retain RNs. We call on Southern Cross Care and other providers thinking of doing the same, to stop – workers and the residents they care for, will both suffer,” she said.

However, Catholic Health Australia has defended SCCT, with CEO Pat Garcia (pictured) saying it is “unfair” to single out one provider which “continues to invest in its services and deliver care, above and beyond the stipulated levels”.

“Southern Cross Care has been providing excellent quality of care to Tasmanians for generations and it takes its responsibility to residents, staff and families very seriously. “Despite financial losses, it continues to invest in new services for its 650 residents, including new on-site kitchens that will deliver better quality food. It is also giving residents more control over their type of care with a new model that aims to replicate a home-like environment,” he said.

According to Pat, ENs should be allowed to contribute to nurse care minute requirements.

“Enrolled Nurses are more than capable of performing daily care including taking blood pressure tests and developing clinical care plans. We should allow them to continue performing those duties by recognising them in the 40 nurse care minutes,” he said.