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Private aged care providers operating in Queensland will be asked to publicly report staffing information. If they don’t, it may be published for them, should legislation proposed by the State Government go ahead.
The move by premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is an effort to help bring the state’s private aged care providers in line with its public ones that will have mandated staff-to-patient ratios.
As private aged care is the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government, the state’s mandated staffing legislation does not extend to such providers but Palaszszuk said all would be asked to publicly report staffing information “for the sake of transparency”.
“If they choose not to, we won’t be afraid to reveal the identity of those unwilling to do the right thing by elderly Queenlslanders,” she promised.
Minister for Health Steven Miles said the laws would complement legislatively mandated nurse-to-resident ratios being implemented in Queensland’s 16 publicly owned aged care facilities.
“It makes sense that public and private facilities are on the same playing field when it comes to transparency and accountability,” Miles said.
Palaszczuk said staff-to-patient ratios work in the health system, saving lives and money.
“Now we want to see nurse-to-resident ratios help in the aged care sector, providing comfort and confidence for residents and their families.
“Revelations at the royal commission into aged care and recent events at the Earle Haven retirement village on the Gold Coast provide a stark reminder that elderly Queenslanders deserve the best possible care.”
Queensland’s state-run residential aged care facilities will begin quarterly reporting of their staffing information this year.
The figures will be posted on an interactive website to be set up to help consumers compare private and public facilities when making decisions about their care.
Palaszczuk called on the federal government to introduce a mandate for staff-to-patient ratios for the entire sector.
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