More doctors and nurses for Emergency Departments

A Gillard Labor Government will train more emergency doctors and nurses, so hospitals have the frontline staff they need to ensure that every Australian gets emergency treatment within the four hour national target.

Federal Labor will invest $96 million in a comprehensive package to deliver more and better qualified emergency doctors, nurses and support staff. This package will:

Deliver 270 more specialist doctors that are trained in emergency medicine over the next decade.
Support up to 2,000 more emergency nurses and nurse practitioners over the next decade.
Support 1,000 student nurses over the next decade to gain experience in Emergency Departments as part of their education.
Support supervisors to train and up skill GPs and other doctors in outer suburban and rural areas, where specialist emergency doctors aren’t always available.
Provide training to improve the skills of support staff in Emergency Departments – so that specialist emergency doctors and nurses can focus on their job.