Media Release

11 May 2005

Recycled promises are not new budget news

The Australian Government recycled old news in the Budget last night, promoting the 40 additional aged care specialist university nursing places which it announced on 1 July 2004.

'While these places are welcome, they are not new,' ANF Assistant Federal Secretary Ged Cowin said.

The 'Hogan' Review of pricing arrangements in residential aged care released at last year's Budget recommended an additional 2700 undergraduate nursing places over three years.

The Government's response in the 2004/05 Budget was to allocate 1,094 aged care nursing places. On 1 July the Government added 40 places in 2005, increasing to 109 by 2008, bringing the total to 1,203 by 2008, well short of what Hogan recommended.

The recently released report by the Australian Health Workforce Advisory Committee, The Australian Nursing Workforce - An overview of workforce planning 2001-2004, said that for supply to meet demand, between 10,182 and 12,270 new graduate nurses are required to enter the workforce in 2006.

'It takes three years to educate a registered nurse. In 2003, there were 13,313 eligible applicants for undergraduate nursing courses, 8,452 were successful while there were no places for 4,861. When these nurses graduate in 2006, there are going to be significantly less than the 10,182 to 12,270 the Government's own report says are required,' Ms Cowin said.

'Investing in Australia's health means investing in the health workforce. There are plenty of people wanting to undertake nursing, but just not enough places for them. Figures from the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee show that in 2004, 9,083 people commenced a nursing course while 4,545 eligible applicants missed out.

'With a $8.9 billion budget surplus the Government could well afford the estimated $48.5 million over two years to ensure the future nursing needs of the Australian community are met.'

Further information
Australian Health Workforce Advisory Committee, The Australian Nursing Workforce - An overview of workforce planning 2001-2004, AHWAC Report 2004.2, Sydney.
Hogan, W., 2004, Review of pricing arrangements in residential aged care, AGPS, Canberra.


Media inquiries:

Ged Cowin, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322
Heather Witham, ANF Federal Communications Officer 0417 359 907

The ANF, representing 145,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses in Australia.