Toowoomba Base nurses and midwives call out staff shortages

Toowoomba Hospital nurses and midwives have shared how they often under report assaults, go without breaks, and describe the workload as “dangerous” as staff shortages plague the hospital.

TOOWOOMBA, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos – JANUARY 23, 2025. Toowoomba Hospital generics Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

Nurses and midwives have revealed the impact of “dangerous staffing measures” at Toowoomba Hospital, which have left nurses overwhelmed and under-resourced, caring for numerous patients alone and working through lunch or dinner breaks.

Hospital staff claim their issues, including “fragmented, insufficient care” and an increase in “serious” errors, have been caused by what they describe as a “hideously understaffed” hospital.

The reports come from the Public Hospital Watch, an online tool from the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union, where more than 1700 frontline nurses and midwives shared stories, de-identified by the union, over working conditions in Queensland’s public hospitals.

At least 40 Toowoomba workers have shared stories, calling out how the lack of adequate staffing has resulted in physical assaults, an inability to properly train new staff and greater burn out.

“All three shifts, AM, PM and Night shift, have all been hideously understaffed,” one story read.

“We’re so understaffed that assaults from patients are going under reported, because if a code blue pops off we don’t (not barely – don’t!) have enough staff to cover all the safety specials.

“We have six or seven patients who require specials due to behavioural concerns, and nurses are being punched, bitten and kicked for just existing.

Nurses and midwives have shared stories of the working conditions in Queensland public hospitals. Photo: Stock image

“People are scared to come to this ward if they are medically unwell.”

“More and more nursing hours have been eroded by nurses needing to complete non nursing tasks because there is reduced support staff (admin, pharmacy and cleaning staff) to ensure after hours transfers and care can be attended,” another person wrote.

“I cry most days but I keep going because I am terrified of the harm that could occur to the patients because of poorly trained and inexperienced staff,” another person wrote.

Numerous stories recount experiences of missing meal or tea breaks daily because of forced overtime and not having someone to relieve or replace them.

In February, the Queensland government released the Open Hospitals portal, which shows real-time hospital emergency data, such as how many people waiting for treatment and a median waiting time.

While the QNMU welcomed the data transparency, having safe staff levels in Queensland public hospitals remained paramount to facing ongoing population growth and increased demand, QNMU Secretary Sarah Beaman said.

The union is currently in negotiations with Queensland Health over a new public sector enterprise agreement.

The new agreement hopes to bring nurse and midwife managers the support and resources needed, making the managerial positions more in line with other Queensland public sectors, Ms Beaman said. “Queensland’s frontline nurses and midwives are the backbone of our healthcare system and continue to deliver exceptional care under increasing pressures amid a global workforce crisis.”

Darling Downs Health was approached for comment.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Sarah Beaman is calling for more support for nurse and midwife managers. Picture: Richard Walker

Originally published as Toowoomba Base nurses and midwives call out staff shortages