SA Health has confirmed 200 nursing positions will be cut before 30 June next year.
In evidence to the Legislative Council Budget and Finance Committee yesterday, SA Health Chief Executive David Swan said there would be 683.9 full-time jobs cuts in health, and 200 would be nursing positions.
“This is yet another broken promise by Mr Weatherill, who has always said he would not cut ‘front line’ positions such as nurses and doctors,” said Shadow Health Minister Rob Lucas.
“When the possibility of significant cuts in nursing jobs was first raised in Budget Estimates in June, Minister Snelling said the number had ‘not yet been determined’.
“Mr Swan also confirmed total jobs cuts over the budget forward estimates would now be 1929.2, but the total number of additional nursing jobs to go from 2014 to 2017 had not yet been determined.”
The full extent of budget savings and job cuts is outlined in the following table:
Year Budget savings (cumulative) $m FTE job cuts
2013/14 160.8 683.9
2014/15 258.6 1280.2
2015/16 339.4 1675.2
2016/17 378.9 1929.2
Total 1137.7
“Mr Weatherill and Mr Snelling need to come clean and indicate how many more nursing job cuts they have targeted out of the total of 1929 job cuts,” said Mr Lucas.
“Once again Mr Weatherill has shown he can’t be trusted to deliver what he promises.
“South Australians deserve a Government with better priorities to get our State back on track.”