The state branch of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) says there is a critical shortage of healthcare workers in regional Western Australia.

There are currently 328 job vacancies listed on Rural Health West.

ANF WA state secretary Mark Olson says regionals areas have been disproportionately affected by border closures.

“When we get an outbreak they’ll sandbag the city hospitals,” he told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings.

“So as difficult as it is for the country areas to get staff now, it’s going to be basically impossible for them to get staff, and I fear that we are going to lose some of our hospitals.

“They’ll have to shut hospitals out there because they simply can’t provide safe staffing levels.”

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