Small rural towns and remote communities fall short of 24/7 RN requirements in first data released by DoH

The majority of aged care homes have achieved the Federal Government’s 1 July 2023 requirement for 24/7 Registered Nurses – but the data highlights the challenges in recurring RNs for operators in rural and remote areas. You can download the 60-page facility list here. Labor had pledged 24/7 nursing in residential aged care as part of its election promises, a move cited by several operators as one of the causes behind their closure. But as of last month, the Albanese Government had reported that only 81% of aged care homes had 24/7 RN coverage. The list published by the Department of Health and Aged Care shows that the majority of aged care homes in Metropolitan (MM1) areas, Large Regional Centres (MM2), Large Rural Towns (MM3) and Medium Rural Towns (MM4) met the target in July 2023. WA had fewer Metropolitan homes meet the requirement than the other States, reflecting the difficulties in finding RNs in the West. But some Small Rural Towns (MM4) and Remote and Very Remote Communities (MM6 and MM7) have clearly struggled to reach the target, with one home reporting zero coverage. Interestingly, Tasmania reported the best overall coverage, reflecting the fact that under its Poisons Act, aged care homes must have 24/7 RN coverage – a practice that has been in place for some time. As of 15 August, only 39 homes had exemptions from the 24/7 RN responsibility across Australia – all homes with fewer than 30 beds.

The SOURCE: With competition for RNs at record highs, the Government is unlikely to reach its target of 100% 24/7 RN coverage in aged care.