More than 220 staff have been hired by Sunshine Hospital since 2010, a figure the Coalition government is claiming as a success with the state election only weeks away.
Sunshine Hospital now employs 1008 nursing staff, up from 879 in 2010.
The number of doctors working at the hospital has risen from 104 to 130 in the same period.
And ancillary support staff – including pharmacists, social workers and physiotherapists – grew by more than 50 per cent, from 90 in 2010 to 158 this year.
“The massive $238.3 million investment in Victoria’s health workforce has helped create more health professionals since 2010,” Health Minister David Davis said.
“Doctors employed by Western Health grew to more than 570 in June 2014, an increase of 110.”
Mr Davis said the Coalition’s People in Health initiative was behind the growth.
“[It] has had an enormous impact in expanding and building a sustainable health workforce, enabling it to meet the challenges of our ageing and growing population,” Mr Davis said.
“We are . . . investing in additional student placements and enabling health professionals to develop their careers and be at the forefront of best practice.”
The release of the latest figures comes as the Labor Party pledges to spend $20 million to upgrade hospital security for nurses and doctors and enshrine nurse-patient ratios in legislation should they win the election.
Nurse-to-patient ratios are currently negotiated every four years as part of the enterprise bargaining process.
“Ratios are not up for negotiation. They should be beyond doubt,” Labor leader Dan Andrews said.
Australian Nurses Federation secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said nurse-to-patient ratios were vital and meant governments could not look to force nurses to bargain away other conditions to maintain staffing levels.
“We’re very thrilled and relieved, not just for nurses and midwives but for the community and their safe care,” she said.
Mr Davis said the Coalition had no intention of enshrining nurse patient ratios in legislation.
He said he believed that was an industrial matter that should be part of enterprise bargaining talks.
“The government is committed to maintaining, if re-elected, the current nurse- patient ratio arrangements within the EBA,” he said.
