Tuesday, 28 July 2026

 John LISTER (Werribee) (14:33): (1711) My question is for the Minister for Health in the other place. How will increasing nurse-to-patient ratios help patients at Werribee hospital? A few weeks ago I visited the hospital to speak to management about the progress of opening our huge expansion of the emergency department there. We are on track to open the new facility this year, with new spaces for paediatric emergency and mental health and an ambulance offload there to get crews back on the road quicker. It is this Labor government that has transformed our hospital, with a huge ICU unit, mental health expansion and this new ED coming online. I was proud to hear that this Labor government will increase nurse-to-patient ratios across 26 more hospitals, including at our own in Werribee. Many of my family members have been nurses, and I know just how committed they are to keeping their patients safe and healthy. I am proud that it was this government that first legislated nurse-to-patient ratios and delivered a huge pay rise for our workforce. Thank you to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation for their advocacy, and I look forward to meeting with them and our local nurses soon to discuss how we continue to back them at Werribee hospital.