Cairns Private Hospital staff protest for better pay and conditions from Ramsay Health

Nurses and midwives protested in frustration outside of Cairns Private Hospital, saying particular working conditions are compromising the quality of care delivered to patients.

CAIRNS Private Hospital and its nurses and midwives are in disagreement over workload management with the health service defending its stance on ratios.

Private health staff say they feel overworked and unable to deliver safe care to patients, according to Maddi Heathfield, a spokeswoman for Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union.

“They (private health staff) have been attempting to negotiate a pay rise in parity with Queensland Health … for some time now,” Ms Heathfield said.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union representative and critical care nurse Maddi Heathfield rallies outside the Cairns Private Hospital with other nurses, claiming Ramsay Health Care, owner of Cairns Private Hospital, is underpaying staff and not applying appropriate ratios of nurses to patients. Picture: Brendan Radke

“This needs to be addressed because the nurses need to be remunerated for the work they do.”

Ms Heathfield said nurse-to-patient ratios were also of concern and some private health staff had managed inappropriate workloads.

“The ratios are about delivering safe care to our patients,” she said.

“It’s been demonstrated in the public health system … that it actually improves quality and safety of patient outcomes.

Private health staff rally outside the Cairns Private Hospital on Friday, August 5. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We’ve put that on the table for (Ramsay Health Care) to consider.”

A spokeswoman for Cairns Private Hospital said significant progress had been made “on a number of aspects” in enterprise agreement negotiations with QNMU. But the hospital has taken a dimmer view of nurse-to-patient ratios.

“There is very limited evidence that demonstrates any impact the introduction of ratios has on patient outcomes,” the spokeswoman said.

“A single formulaic ratio cannot address complex patient and staffing requirements.”

Originally published as Cairns Private Hospital staff protest for better pay and conditions from Ramsay Health