sec.138BPrescription of minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios

### sec.138B Prescription of minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratios A regulation may prescribe a requirement about the minimum number of nurses or midwives who must be engaged in delivering a health service according to the number of patients receiving the service. The regulation— may apply in relation to the delivery of stated health services— by stated Services; and at stated facilities or parts of facilities; and at stated times; and in stated circumstances; and A regulation may require that, in each surgical ward in a stated public sector hospital, between 7a.m. and 3p.m. each day, there be at least 1 nurse for every 4 patients. may include a requirement about the skills or qualifications of the nurses or midwives. For this section— a nurse or midwife is taken to be engaged in delivering a health service only if directly involved in providing care to 1 or more of the patients receiving the service; and to remove any doubt, it is declared that if a person receiving care in a maternity ward gives birth, the person’s newborn baby is also counted as a patient receiving the service. In this section— newborn baby includes a baby— who has shown no sign of respiration or heartbeat, or other sign of life, on being born; and who— has been gestated for 20 weeks or more; or weighs 400 grams or more. s 138B ins 2016 No. 29 s 5 amd 2024 No. 7 s 12 (sec.138B-ssec.1) A regulation may prescribe a requirement about the minimum number of nurses or midwives who must be engaged in delivering a health service according to the number of patients receiving the service. (sec.138B-ssec.2) The regulation— may apply in relation to the delivery of stated health services— by stated Services; and at stated facilities or parts of facilities; and at stated times; and in stated circumstances; and A regulation may require that, in each surgical ward in a stated public sector hospital, between 7a.m. and 3p.m. each day, there be at least 1 nurse for every 4 patients. may include a requirement about the skills or qualifications of the nurses or midwives. (sec.138B-ssec.3) For this section— a nurse or midwife is taken to be engaged in delivering a health service only if directly involved in providing care to 1 or more of the patients receiving the service; and to remove any doubt, it is declared that if a person receiving care in a maternity ward gives birth, the person’s newborn baby is also counted as a patient receiving the service. (sec.138B-ssec.4) In this section— newborn baby includes a baby— who has shown no sign of respiration or heartbeat, or other sign of life, on being born; and who— has been gestated for 20 weeks or more; or weighs 400 grams or more. - (a) may apply in relation to the delivery of stated health services— (i) by stated Services; and (ii) at stated facilities or parts of facilities; and (iii) at stated times; and (iv) in stated circumstances; and Example— A regulation may require that, in each surgical ward in a stated public sector hospital, between 7a.m. and 3p.m. each day, there be at least 1 nurse for every 4 patients. - (i) by stated Services; and - (ii) at stated facilities or parts of facilities; and - (iii) at stated times; and - (iv) in stated circumstances; and - (b) may include a requirement about the skills or qualifications of the nurses or midwives. - (i) by stated Services; and - (ii) at stated facilities or parts of facilities; and - (iii) at stated times; and - (iv) in stated circumstances; and - (a) a nurse or midwife is taken to be engaged in delivering a health service only if directly involved in providing care to 1 or more of the patients receiving the service; and - (b) to remove any doubt, it is declared that if a person receiving care in a maternity ward gives birth, the person’s newborn baby is also counted as a patient receiving the service. - (a) who has shown no sign of respiration or heartbeat, or other sign of life, on being born; and - (b) who— (i) has been gestated for 20 weeks or more; or (ii) weighs 400 grams or more. - (i) has been gestated for 20 weeks or more; or - (ii) weighs 400 grams or more. - (i) has been gestated for 20 weeks or more; or - (ii) weighs 400 grams or more.