More than one in four hospital shifts do not meet the new nurse to patient ratios the Labor-Greens government was meant to implement by July, it was revealed at Estimates today.

The hearings also revealed the government was way behind on its annual target of 14,800 elective surgeries with the current number being 14,031.

Canberra Health Services CEO Dave Peffer revealed only 73 per cent of nursing shifts were fully compliant with nurse to patient ratios, meaning a total of 27 per cent of shifts failed to meet the agreements struck between the government and nurses union.

Shadow Health Minister Leanne Castley said patient care was suffering as the Labor-Greens government failed its own staffing commitments.

“Patient care is compromised and there is extra pressure on nurses which is unacceptable,” Ms Castley said.

“We know our nurses are exhausted and feel undervalued, are so flat out they cannot take toilet breaks and are leaving the profession in droves. Now we learn the government is dragging its feet on nurse to patient ratios that would ease the load on our hard working nurses.”

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith could not tell Ms Castley when the government would meet its nurse to patient ratios. “I cannot give you a date when we will be fully compliant,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.

Ms Castley said Minister Stephen-Smith had failed to properly implement a workforce plan and retain senior experienced nurses.