Queensland nurses face mass exodus from public hospitals

Data obtained through Right to Information requests reveals that more than 2,400 nurses left Queensland public hospitals during 2024–25, marking the highest departure rate in four years. Over the past five years, a total of 10,824 nurses have left the Queensland hospital system.

Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls defended the Crisafulli government, stating that attrition rates have decreased from 6.54 per cent under the previous Labor government to 5.42 per cent. Nicholls noted that the government has hired 10,000 new employees within Queensland Health, including over 7,000 frontline and frontline support staff.

The government has pledged to add 46,000 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, by 2032. While a workforce gap analysis was released in November, a follow-up implementation plan is expected later this year.

Sarah Beaman, secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU), attributed the exodus to ongoing staffing issues and unmanageable workloads within state hospitals.