Uniting NSW.ACT has employed 30% more RNs ahead of mandated care minutes
However, Uniting NSW. ACT admitted it may not be able to meet the requirement in all its homes due to staff shortages in regional areas
The latest Quarterly Financial Snapshot shows that, with mandatory 200 care minutes per resident per day becoming effective on 1 October 2023, including 40 minutes for Registered Nurses, Not For Profits are currently closer to meeting the target, on average, than For Profit providers. The report, which reflects data for the March 2023 quarter, shows the average care minutes per resident per day is 190 for the sector. Not For Profits are sitting at 193 minutes per resident per day, while For Profit Providers are delivering 182 minutes of care per resident per day on average. (Government providers are delivering on average 235 care minutes per resident per day.) A Uniting NSW.ACT spokesperson told The SOURCE, they are “progressing well” towards meeting the mandated care minutes requirements by 1 October. “We have steadily increased our registered nursing workforce in response to changes in resident need and in anticipation of minimum staffing requirements,” they said. “Currently there are 800 Registered Nurses employed by Uniting across our 74 aged care homes. This compares to pre-pandemic numbers of 580 in 2018 and 600 in 2019.” However, Uniting NSW.ACT admitted it may not be able to meet the requirement in all its homes due to staff shortages in regional areas.
“Given the severe ongoing challenges in aged care recruitment, particularly in regional areas, it may not be possible to meet the care minutes target by 1 October in a small number of our services,” the spokesperson said.
“Uniting remains confident in our ability to eventually achieve the care minutes through our laser sharp focus on our workforce attraction and retention improvements. However, regardless of achieving the numbers, we will continue to provide safe and effective care across our aged care services, thanks to our comprehensive workforce planning practices.” NSW.ACT will use a range of services, including an on-call RN overnight service and telehealth access to Uniting NSW.ACT’s own clinicians, to provide safe and effective care. Uniting NSW.ACT has met the requirement for 24/7 RNs in the majority (78.4%) of its 74 aged care homes. Uniting Crookwell/Taralga was granted an exemption from the Department of Health and Aged Care. The SOURCE: Staffing challenges will be magnified when the requirement increases to 215 minutes from 1 October 2024, particularly in the regions.
