Frontline staff top priority for Blue Care Qld
Blue Care, a large Queensland based aged and community organisation, has deliberately made 2,885 frontline staff its top priority, injecting dollars into wages and work conditions for nurses instead of profits.
“We cannot afford not to,” says executive director, Stephen Muggleton. “With the nationwide shortage of skilled nurses, valuing the staff we have and ensuring we retain them is vital.
“Our priority is our frontline staff; those who provide quality care to the elderly, people with disabilities, and others in need in the community.
Mr Muggleton said budgets were tight, but the cost of losing expert staff to the acute sector, outweighed the cost of providing incentives for retention.
“We recognise the high cost of recruiting new staff, both in terms of dollars and service capacity.
“That is why we are committed to being an employer of choice for nurses in the aged care sector, and to closing the gap between wages for nurses in aged care and the wider health care system.
“We are now working with the Australian Worker’s Union and Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union to ensure appropriate wages and work conditions for other frontline staff.”
