During the informal visit on 29 March, ANF (Vic Branch) Councillors, who are all nurses and midwives working across regional and metropolitan Victoria, had an opportunity to ask about the impact the reforms on the Victorian health system, nurses, midwives and patients.
The Prime Minister was questioned about industrial relations and who would be responsible for negotiating an enterprise agreement for nurses and midwives with ANF and who would be responsible for funding increased wages, staffing levels and entitlements given the State Government under his proposal would only receive 40% of the funding.
The Prime Minister responded that state governments would continue to negotiate enterprise agreements for nurses and midwives. He said part of the activity-based funding would include a forecast to "factor in where an EBA outcome is likely to land".
The Prime Minister said he would look at the issues raised by ANF about nurses and midwives sitting on the local hospital network boards where they also worked and whether that is legally possible.
Branch Councillors also asked about aged care funding and nursing levels, the plan's impact on community nursing and programs such as the Royal District Nursing Service and how they would be funded into the future, also how regional and co-morbidity variations would be provided for in a single national efficient price for procedures/diagnostic related groups.
Speaking at the end of the meeting ANF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said: "It's wonderful to see you're interested in the views of nurses and midwives and we want to work collaboratively with you on the reform package.
"We want to be part of making the package better and we look forward to your announcements on mental health, primary care, dental health and aged care," Ms Fitzpatrick said.
The ANF (Vic Branch) has withheld its support for the package at this stage until the real detail on announcements is worked through and all our questions have been answered.
