Labor's health spokesman Ryan Park said the families of residents in Victorian aged care homes are being "left in the dark" during COVID-19 outbreaks, and is urging the NSW Government to details its plan if a second wave hits nursing homes here.
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The Keira MP said there needed to be more clarity around the transfer of aged care residents to hospitals during an outbreak of the virus.
"By having a clear and well communicated plan, family members can have surety that their loved ones will receive treatment if and when they need it," Mr Park said.
"We have heard from many family members in Victoria who have said they have been left in the dark.
"What we are urging the government to do in NSW is have a clear and consistent plan for all nursing homes.
"These are our most vulnerable community members and we need to take every step we can to protect them. We know from experience that the implications of this virus in a nursing home can be fatal."
NSW has more than 61,000 aged care residents across 860 facilities. In Victoria, the outbreak of COVID-19 in aged care facilities has resulted in more than 70 deaths.
Mr Park said the crisis in Victoria was a reminder of how vulnerable residents were. And he said NSW couldn't "afford another Newmarch House crisis", where residents were not immediately transferred to Nepean Hospital, just minutes down the road.
Newmarch House was linked to 71 cases of COVID-19 and 19 deaths.
It comes as the peak body for non-profit aged care providers also issued a warning to state and territory governments. Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) stressed that without the immediate transfer of all first coronavirus cases to hospital, there would be further tragedy in aged care across the country.
"With clusters and community transmission continuing and likely for months to come, we need policies that protect aged care residents in the long term," ACSA CEO Patricia Sparrow said.
"Aged care homes are not hospitals. They aren't staffed like hospitals. They are not funded like hospitals. They are homes.
"... The idea that aged care homes could contain such a contagious and deadly virus without the unfettered support of the health system is ridiculous."
Ms Sparrow said hospital transfer from aged care not only enabled residents to have the best possible medical care, but also stopped the virus spreading to other residents.
She also called on governments to put in place regular testing regimes for all aged care staff, with a fast turnaround on results.
A NSW Health spokesperson said it was working with the Commonwealth Department of Health - which is responsible for the aged care sector - and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to develop a joint protocol on the management of COVID-19 to support aged care providers in the private and not-for-profit sectors.
"There are currently no COVID-19 outbreaks in NSW aged care facilities," the spokesperson said. "NSW Health is committed to supporting aged care providers fulfil their responsibilities to manage the risk of outbreak and hospitals have implemented several strategies with the aged care sector."
These strategies included conducting outbreak scenario exercises with individual residential aged care providers and COVID-19 update webinars.
"NSW Health is also working with the sector advising on the need to ensure staff are well trained, have an infection control lead or champion at each facility and that individual facilities hold suitable levels of PPE."
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