Paramedics prepare to strike from midnight

Paramedics will go on strike from midnight as pressure on the government to fix staffing and pay issues continues to rise.

Paramedics across the state will refuse to leave their allocated station to fill staffing shortages at other locations from midnight for the next 24 hours.

The strike builds on Tuesday’s massive protest from nurses and midwives who were also frustrated with staffing shortages.

A spokeswoman for the Australian Paramedics Association NSW said the practice of taking paramedics from stations to fill roster gaps at other sites was happening frequently during the pandemic.

The spokeswoman said paramedics from regional areas were often spending the “first few hours of their shifts” travelling to different locations at “big distances.”

Paramedics will still go out on jobs at their own stations.

NSW Ambulance paramedics are preparing for strike action.

The APA is demanding the government commit to 1500 extra staff on roads, additional pandemic payments, and a wage increase of more than 2.5 per cent.

They are also calling for the government to invest in specialist paramedics and referral networks.

“It should come as no surprise to the premier or to his government that health workers are taking action”, APA NSW President Chris Kastelan said.

“We’ve been telling them for years that we’re fatigued, too thinly resourced, and at risk of burning out. And since Covid we’ve been asked to dig deeper, work longer, and sacrifice more than before.

“It’s no longer possible to keep expecting us to do so much, with current staffing and conditions.“

Mr Kastelan said the government was staring down the barrel at “a mass exodus of qualified, experienced clinicians” if it failed to meet the union‘s demands.

WHY STRIKES COULD BECOME THE NORM FOR NSW NURSES

Nurses and midwives walking off the job could soon become the norm with healthcare unions vowing to “keep fighting” with actions like Tuesday’s massive strike until the government bows to their demands.

Healthcare workers descended on Macquarie Street on Tuesday, rebelling against an eleventh-hour intervention from the Industrial Relations Commission which ordered the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association to cancel its protest.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes spoke outside Parliament House calling for Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard to come “to the table with real answers (and) real money”.

“We are ready to stay fighting until we win,” he said.

Nurses from across Sydney gathered in front of NSW parliament. Picture: David Swift

It’s understood that despite the thousands-strong crowd, NSW Health believes only about 2000 nurses and midwives across the state took part in the action while nurses on leave and other unions including teachers and paramedics, also stood in solidarity.

The Daily Telegraph understands that in most of the major hospitals about 50 to 200 staff took time off to join the strike, leading to what NSW Health said were “minor disruptions and delays”, mainly to elective surgery and community health services.

The protest appeared to have soured relations between Mr Hazzard and the union after the Minister expressed disappointment at personal attacks from speakers at the event.

Loudest among them were remarks from NSWNMA President O’Bray Smith who borrowed from former prime minister Julia Gillard to call out Mr Hazzard and Mr Perrottet, telling crowds: “I will not be lectured on safe staffing by these men. Our members will not be lectured on safe staffing by these men.”

Mr Hazzard said the comments, which included criticism of the minister’s negotiations with union officials, were “not helpful” but he would continue working with them and the Ministry of Health to find solutions.

“I heard some of what one of the speakers had to say today (Tuesday), being very critical and not constructive,” he said.

Nurses are calling for better pay and staff-to-patient ratios. Picture: David Swift

“The personal attacks on me were not helpful but I’ve not experienced personal attacks from the association or from Brett Holmes. I’ll continue to work with Brett and the association to explore what practical changes can be made.

“The association members raised a number of issues, particularly in relation to how the ratio system works in practice on some wards, and I’ve asked (NSW) Health to look at those issues.”

Mr Hazzard shut down the union’s calls for a ratio of one nurse to four patients per shift, arguing that the union itself had agreed to the current staffing arrangement of six hours of nursing per patient, per day under the former Labor government.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard slammed “personal attacks” by the union. Picture: Christian Gilles

The ratio is similar to those in Queensland and Victoria where one nurse manages no more than four patients during day shifts.

He added that there had been “constructive discussions” about the union’s demands of a pay rise above 2.5 per cent but could not disclose if the wish would be granted.

“We are not currently heading down the path of changing the ratio system,” he said.

“I’ve had constructive discussion with the association about pay matters, but those issues need to be dealt with in confidence because it involves … the government more broadly.”

Starting salaries for registered nurses and midwives in NSW are the second-lowest in the country, sitting at $63,960 as compared to $69,922 in the Northern Territory.

Thousands joined the strike in the Sydney CBD, including off-duty nurses and workers from other sectors. Picture: 9 News

Surgical nurse and president of the Gosford branch of NSWNMA, Meg Pendrick said the government would be wise to remember that the protesters were voters too.

“We want them to listen to us and help make this system safer. It’s putting patient safety at risk every day, every shift. We are short staffed every day,” she said.

“The young ones that come as graduate nurses, the look of horror on their faces. The government needs to sit down and talk. We are also voters. We service the people of this state.”

Surgical nurse Meg Pendrick joined the protest. Picture: David Swift

Emergency Nurse Alex Crawley came with baby Mia. Picture: David Swift

Emergency nurse Alex Crawley is currently on maternity leave, but the thought of returning to a understaffed and stretched workforce makes her fear for her wellbeing.

“I’m currently on maternity leave and everyone I’ve caught up with has told me how bad the staffing is. On Saturday our unit was 11 staff short and that’s not safe for patients,” she said.

Labor health spokesman Ryan Park threw his support behind the cause: “We called for the NSW Government to consider implementing a hospital surge support allowance, they haven’t done it.

“The Premier needs to sit down with nurses and their representatives and listen to their concerns,” Mr Park said.

But Labor leader Chris Minns did not commit to whether he will meet the union’s demands if elected, saying that his party was not ready to announce their policy on the issue.