“This will bring hundreds more nurses to regional hospitals and bring their staffing levels up to city ones.

“For the Queanbeyan Health Service and other hospitals in Monaro, it’ll take the pressure off staff and patients in emergency departments and provide more care for children in paediatric wards. Health care should not be dependent on postcodes,” said Mr Wilson.

“Our nurses do astonishing work given their workload. But we tend to forget that while they achieve remarkable results they are only human. This policy will give them the resources they need to continue their work – caring for the sick and most vulnerable in our community.

“Monaro will see an immediate benefit when a Labor government in NSW is able, as a priority, to improve the nurse-patient ratios here. It will literally give our local health services more nurses on the ground.”

NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley made the full statewide announcement at the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association annual conference. Mr. Foley said nurses and midwives do extraordinary work but were under severe pressure.

“They are overworked and under resourced due to a lack of support from the Berejiklian Government.

“Nurse to patient ratios reduce errors, improve the amount of time each nurse can spend in patient care, create better workplaces, reduce stress and lead to higher retention of nurses and midwives.”

Mr Foley said that, “it’s shameful that the government allows hospitals to be understaffed while putting billions of dollars into Sydney stadiums.”

The Majors Creek branch of the Country Labor Party has been renamed Braidwood and District Country Labor. 

Bryce Wilson will be at the Elrington Hotel Park at Majors Creek with members of the newly rebadged local branch from noon on Sunday 12 August to talk to locals.