Following reports of unsafe staffing levels in multiple units in the ACT health system over the past three years, Shadow Minister for Health Leanne Castley has highlighted the inability of the Labor-Greens government to retain crucial frontline workers.

In a motion to be put forward in the Legislative Assembly today, Ms Castley is calling for a strategy to be developed by the Labor-Greens government and the provision of retention bonuses or other incentives to be explored in order to retain and value frontline workers.

Ms Castley said recently radiation therapists at Canberra Hospital walk off the job, following a third of workers in that team having left during the last three years.

“This is not an isolated incident with other departments at the Canberra Hospital, including the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit, Cardiology unit, Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and the Paediatrics and Child at Risk Health Unit also suffering from unsafe staffing levels,” Ms Castley said.

“It has become abundantly clear that the Health Minister and Labor-Greens government is unable or unwilling to address these significant staffing issues that are plaguing our health system and it is time for them to explain how they intend to retain current frontline health workers.

“Our hardworking nurses, doctors and midwives deserve much better than what they are currently getting under this Labor-Greens government, and they are crying out for a proper retention strategy that will go towards not only retaining staff but valuing them.”

Ms Castley said a question taken on notice during the recent estimates hearings revealed that 1337 staff have left Canberra Hospital, University of Canberra Hospital and Mental Health and Community Services since 2020-21.

“What the Labor-Greens government is currently doing to retain staff is clearly not working and that is why the Canberra Liberals are calling for retention bonuses or other incentives to be explored,” Ms Castley said.

“Other states have offered a wide range of incentives to attract and retain frontline staff and if the ACT fails to offer similar then we will continue to firstly lose staff to other states and fail to attract the staff we need in Canberra,” Ms Castley concluded.