THE union representing nurses and midwives at Tamworth hospital says it will continue to advocate for safe patient care as it prepares to go back to the Industrial Relations Commission over staffing concerns within the maternity and emergency departments.
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It comes as Hunter New England Health confirmed on Thursday it was starting an “analysis” of a critical incident involving the transfer of a newborn baby from Tamworth hospital to John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
Brett Holmes, the general secretary of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, said in relation to the incident he was not in a position to comment on individual patient matters, but that the union had been warning hospital management “that staffing and skill mix issues in the maternity unit ... put patient safety at risk”.
“The (association) will continue to advocate for safe patient care, including better staffing and skill mix in the areas where we have identified shortfalls in the maternity unit and emergency department,” he said.
“We have been communicating directly with the chief executive of (the health district) and the chair of the board, with no adequate resolution to date.”
David Quirk, acting executive director rural and regional health services with Hunter New England Health, said the incident didn’t relate to staffing levels.
Mr Holmes said the union had asked the Industrial Relations Commission to relist the dispute over staffing in the maternity unit “in the hope of a genuine resolution”, with the matter set down for October 19.
The emergency department dispute will return to the commission on October 13.
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said on Thursday he was also trying to organise a meeting between hospital management, clinicians and nursing staff.