Westmead Hospital in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has launched the Safe Staffing Levels initiative.

This move is part of the regional government's commitment to reform staffing in hospitals across the state, with the recruitment of 2,480 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff over four years.

The hospital has recently concluded a recruitment campaign, recruiting more than 23 FTE nurses for its emergency department (ED).

This move is critical for maintaining a one-to-one nurse-to-patient care ratio for occupied ED resuscitation beds and a one-to-three ratio for treatment spaces and short-stay unit beds on all shifts.

Approximately 40 EDs in Sydney and regional NSW have begun implementing Safe Staffing Levels, with over ten EDs having completed their recruitment process.

The initiative is overseen by the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce, which includes leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, local health districts, and NSW Health.

The first phase of the initiative focuses on level five and six EDs, which care for the most critically ill patients. The launch is planned to continue in other areas in a phased approach.

The NSW government is also implementing other measures to support the health workforce. These include funding for 1,112 ongoing FTE nurse and midwife positions, providing the highest pay increase for nurses and other health workers in over ten years.

In addition, 500 new paramedic positions are being created in rural, regional, and remote communities.

NSW health minister Ryan Park said: “Safe Staffing Levels is one of the most significant reforms in the way our hospitals have been staffed in decades.

“Completing the rollout of Safe Staffing Levels in the ED at Westmead Hospital is a significant accomplishment and reflects the government's commitment to continuing to improve service delivery.”

Prior to this, the NSW government expanded its trial of body-worn cameras to additional hospitals.