A growing number of Victorian nurses are calling on the Allan government to scrap a controversial hospital directive that requires Indigenous patients to be treated within 30 minutes of arrival, regardless of clinical urgency.
The policy, introduced at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital in April 2024 and developed in partnership with the Department of Health, mandates that all Indigenous patients receive at least a Category 3 triage classification. This automatically prioritises them over semi-urgent (Category 4) and non-urgent (Category 5) cases.
While the hospital and Premier Jacinta Allan defend the initiative as a step toward improving Indigenous health outcomes and equity, the Nurses’ Professional Association of Victoria (NPAV) argues it undermines clinical integrity and public trust.
A recent NPAV survey found that more than 90% of Victorian nurses believe the policy poses a risk to patient safety and fairness. Many nurses reported distress at being forced to act outside their ethical framework, with only 20% feeling supported in adhering to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s code of conduct.
Respondents emphasised that “all Australians deserve equal treatment” and warned that prioritising patients based on race “pressures nurses to breach their professional code.”
NPAV president Kara Thomas has written to Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, urging an urgent review of the policy’s legality and safety implications. She has also contacted the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), asking for clear guidance on whether nurses could face professional sanctions for following—or refusing to follow—the directive.
“This policy places nurses in a serious ethical and legal dilemma,” Ms Thomas said. “While we support culturally safe care, it must always be based on clinical need and professional integrity.”
The policy is currently under review by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. Despite the controversy, St Vincent’s Hospital has been nominated for a Victorian Public Healthcare Award for its initiative, which the citation claims ensures “First Nations patients are seen more promptly than non-Indigenous patients.”
