HHS Statewide
Residential Aged Care
Statewide
Mandatory minimum Daily Resident Care Hours (DRCH) and minimum nurse and support worker skill mix ratios were introduced for public Residential Aged Care Facilities in Queensland Health in December 2019. This minimum nurse workforce legislation sets a minimum average DRCH of 3.65 hours per 24-hour period, and minimum nurse and support worker skill mix ratios of a minimum of 30% registered nurses and a maximum of 50% support workers of the total nurse workforce.
Full compliance with minimum nurse workforce legislation is not required until February 2022.
The existing industrially mandated Business Planning Framework: a tool for nursing and midwifery workload management (PDF, 1.3MB) will continue to apply across all nursing and midwifery services in Queensland Health, regardless of whether a facility or ward is subject to existing nurse-to-patient ratios or minimum nurse workforce legislation.
| Quarter | Average Daily Resident Care Hours (DRCH) | % compliance with minimum DRCH of 3.65 | % compliance with minimum nurse and support worker skill mix ratios | % compliance with minimum nurse workforce requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2023 | 4.14 | 92% | 48% | 45% |
| Dec 2022 | 4.09 | 88% | 47% | 44% |
| Jun 2022 | 4.01 | 88% | 48% | 45% |
| Mar 2022 | 4.08 | 87% | 39% | 36% |
| Dec 2021 | 4.05 | 86% | 47% | 44% |
| Sep 2021 | 3.99 | 84% | 48% | 45% |
| Jun 2021 | 4.05 | 87% | 51% | 48% |
| Mar 2021 | 4.02 | 83% | 40% | 37% |
All data is preliminary and subject to change. "-" indicates data not available to determine calculation or not applicable.
Source: Based on self-reported data provided by each HHS.
Only enrolled nurses, registered nurses (up to NG7) and support workers who are providing direct care may be counted in the DRCH and minimum nurse and supporter worker skill mix ratios.
Quoted percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Average DRCH is given as an average of daily DRCH for the quarter.