The Tasmanian Liberal Government continues to work with and listen to our health workforce to deliver immediate changes that address workload pressures.
We acknowledge the important and ongoing role that our frontline health workers have played in the State's COVID-19 response and recovery, and the role that they continue to play as we transition to living with COVID in our community.
In recognition of this work, in August our Government proposed a Frontline Health Agreement that would see a one-off $2,000 payment paid pro-rata to relevant Health Service and Ambulance Tasmania staff.
I am pleased to confirm that this agreement has now been registered with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.
Eligible frontline health workers in the Department of Health can expect to receive payments in two instalments – as requested – on 2 November and 16 November, and Ambulance Tasmania frontline workers on 3 November and 17 November in line with their paydays.
This $2,000 up-front Frontline Health COVID allowance will be paid to around 9,500 full-time equivalent staff in the Tasmanian Health Services – this means over 11,500 workers will receive this payment (part-time to be paid pro-rata).
This payment is fairer, because it extends to more frontline health staff, and, as a one-off payment, it provides greater certainty.
The Frontline Health COVID Allowance payment was offered on the basis that the Escalation Allowance was retired, and relevant industrial action was ceased. The new allowance also provides workers with a payment now, it is not reliant on future escalation periods that may or may not tip over the 30 day threshold and it better recognises workers in North West and district hospitals that have spent less time at escalated levels.
This payment will support our nurses, midwives, doctors, pharmacists, allied health professionals, paramedics, orderlies, ward clerks, food services, laboratory staff, cleaners and COVID vaccination and testing clinic workforce who have all worked so hard during the pandemic.
The registration of this agreement in the TIC also means that we can immediately begin working on the additional measures proposed that seek to address the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives.
Our plan includes:
- A Return-to-work bonus payment of $2,000 pro rata for any registered health professional who returns to the frontline who resigned in the 12 months prior to 31 July 2022;
- Reforming of the Nursing Transition to Practice Model, providing a fast-track pathway to a job for all UTAS nursing graduates, making a permanent job available for all students;
- A trial of Clinical Coaches on public hospital wards, which has been a long-held request by the ANMF; and
- Establishing a Strategic Nursing Recruitment and Retention Working Group – comprising key health officials and union representatives to prepare new workforce modelling and recruitment initiatives.
In addition, we have already taken action on many of the measures in our Workload Management Plan including increasing access to anti-virals through GPs and grants for rural and regional pharmacies to stock antivirals, as well as deploying nine community paramedics across the State to attend low acuity triple-000 callouts. Already, we are seeing positive results of patients – who would have otherwise been transferred to a hospital – treated in the community, freeing up our ambulances to attend higher-priority call outs.
Additionally, the Government's offer to bring forward wage negotiations for the next round of the Nursing and Midwifery Agreement also stands. Other health award wage agreements are currently in negotiation with unions.
