Safe Patient Care Act

Introduction

Bass Coast Health provides inpatient care in several wards and departments. Nurses and Midwives are essential to ensuring quality and safe care. At BCH our Nursing and Midwifery ratios within all our wards comply with the minimum staffing levels as per the Safe Patient Care Act. BCH will provide additional staff or roster above the ratios, when it is deemed a requirement to provide safe and quality care.

BCH Mixed wards and the number of birthing suites is nominated below.

Mixed Wards at Bass Coast Health

Acute care:

Bass Coast Health provides inpatient care in our Acute ward for:

Patients who need to stay overnight with medical and surgical conditions

At times patients requiring Subacute (Geriatric Evaluation and Management, Rehabilitation) inpatient care are cared for in the Acute ward if the Subacute ward is at capacity.

Name of the mixed ward	Acute ward
The total number of occupied beds	24
The different ratios that apply in the Acute ward
Acute medical and surgical	Geriatric Medicine/rehabilitation
Morning Shift (7.00 am – 3.30 pm) 1 nurse: 6 patients plus 1 nurse as EFT 300 provision. One nurse in charge	Morning Shift (7.00 am – 3.30 pm) 1 nurse: 5 patients
Afternoon Shift (1.30 pm – 10.00 pm) 1 nurse: 7 patients. One nurse in charge	Afternoon Shift (1.30 pm – 10.00 pm) 1 nurse: 6 patients
Night Shift (9.30 pm – 7.30 am) 1 nurse: 10 patients.	Night Shift (9.30 pm – 7.30 am) 1 nurse: 10 patients.
The expected number of occupied beds in medical/surgical=22	The expected number of occupied beds in Gem/rehab=2

Subacute Care:

Bass Coast Health also provides inpatient care in a Sub-Acute care in Armitage House consisting of:

•Patients requiring Geriatric Evaluation Medicine (GEM) and rehabilitation programs

•Patients requiring Palliative care

Name of the mixed ward	Armitage House
The total number of occupied beds	19
The different ratios that apply in the Armitage House
Geriatric Medicine/rehabilitation	Palliative
Morning Shift (7.00 am – 3.30 pm) 1 nurse: 5 patients. One nurse in charge.	Morning Shift (7.00 am – 3.30 pm) 1 nurse: 4 patients
Afternoon Shift (1.30 pm – 10.00 pm) 1 nurse: 5 patients. One nurse in charge.	Afternoon Shift (1.30 pm – 10.00 pm) 1 nurse: 4 patients
Night Shift (9.30 pm – 7.30 am) 1 nurse: 10 patients	Night Shift (9.30 pm – 7.30 am) 1 nurse: 6 patients. One nurse in charge.
The expected number of occupied beds in Gem/rehab=17	The expected number of occupied beds in Palliative =2

Maternity Services:

Bass Coast Health provides Maternity care for:

• Women and their babies requiring antenatal or postnatal care (before and after the birth of their baby)

and

• Women who are delivering their baby following a low-risk pregnancy

Name of the mixed ward	Maternity Unit
The total number of occupied beds	2 Ante/post natal plus 1 Birthing Suite
The different ratios that apply in the Maternity Unit
Ante/post Natal	Birthing Suite
Morning Shift (7.00 am – 3.30 pm) 1 midwife to 4 patients	Staffed as per Safe Patient care Act section 31 2 for all shifts
Afternoon Shift (1.30 pm – 10.00 pm) 1 midwife to 4 patients
Night Shift (9.30 pm – 7.30 am) 1 midwife to 6 patients
The expected number of occupied beds in Ante/Post Natal =2	The expected number of occupied Birthing suites=1

February 2023