LOCAL nurses and midwives say they have been let down by the board of Hunter New England Health, after members declined to intervene in the ongoing dispute over staffing levels at the hospital.
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The Tamworth branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association wrote to the health district board with a plea for assistance, but has instead been advised that board members were confident the situation was being managed “appropriately”.
Brett Holmes, the association’s general secretary, met with branch members in Tamworth yesterday and was scathing of their response.
“It’s extremely disappointing that the (Hunter New England) board will not intervene in these unsafe staffing matters, given a core priority of the board is to ‘improve local patient outcomes and respond to issues that arise’,” he said.
“Local nurses and midwives have dedicated their lives to ensuring the delivery of safe patient care for this community.
“They deserve the professional courtesy of a safe working environment and adequate staffing levels in accordance with (their) award.”
Nurse and midwives are appealing to hospital management to increase staffing levels in the new emergency and maternity units.
They are concerned about the effect of current staff numbers on patient safety and staff welfare.
The dispute escalated last month when Hunter New England Health declined to accept a recommendation from the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW in relation to trialling an additional nurse on the night shift in the emergency department.
In its written response to union branch members, the health district board – made up of 12 senior clinicians and business representatives from across the region – said it was hopeful the opening of a new short-stay unit within emergency would alleviate some of the pressure on staff at present, and that since the end of winter, the “high” level of patient activity was “expected to ease”.
The board’s letter also addressed concerns about hospital midwife numbers, denying there was any deliberate move to inflate available staff numbers with those who were currently on leave.
Mr Holmes said the response wasn’t good enough and if the shoe was on the other foot, hospital management would be up in arms.
“I can tell you that if we took industrial action, Hunter New England Health would be straight to the Industrial Relations Commission saying ‘tell them to stop’ and they would be demanding orders against us,” he said.
Mr Holmes said the association would continue to “vigorously pursue” safe staffing levels in the emergency department and maternity unit at Tamworth hospital.