Tenterfield council calls for independent investigation into issues at hospital

All staff who have resigned in recent years could be interviewed, if the health department agrees to demands for an independent investigation into a Northern NSW hospital.

Tenterfield councillors are increasingly concerned about the staffing issues at Tenterfield hospital.

Tenterfield councillors say there are some “very, very serious problems” at the Tenterfield Hospital, and “enough is enough”.

There have been ongoing concerns about staffing levels at the hospital ever since a patient died in October 2019, when no doctor was rostered on to work.

At the time, the Hunter New England Health District said the facility was “unable to provide sufficient clinical resources to manage the rapidly deteriorating patient”.

The usual medical officer was on leave and the health district could not find a locum.

In light of that tragedy, health unions and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin lobbied hard for more support for nurses and hospital workers, but with limited success.

In December 2020 the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association once again expressed concerns, saying “roster gaps” were leaving patients at risk.

They called for “urgent intervention” from Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has lobbied on behalf of nurses at Tenterfield District Hospital.

“The situation at Tenterfield Hospital is entirely unacceptable and dangerous,” the union said.

Fast forward six months, and now Tenterfield Shire councillors are getting involved.

They have voted unanimously to contact Ms Saffin to “request the Health Minister to implement an urgent independent investigation of the management of the Tenterfield Hospital”.

This would also include interviews with all staff who had resigned in the past three years.

Cr Bronwyn Petrie, who put up the motion, said staffing levels continued to be a problem, with periods of no doctor, or a single doctor being forced to work up to 30 days straight.

“Yet again we’ve had a period of no doctor at the hospital for four days,” she said at the June council meeting.

“We were without a doctor, yet again, despite all of the promises.

“In addition, we’ve had at least 16 or 17 registered nurses resign in the last 18 months to two years.

“That indicates there is something wrong … enough is enough.

“Stop brushing this aside. We as a council should be taking a lead in this and showing our community that we do care.”

Cr John Macnish, who seconded Ms Petrie’s motion, said he believed all the issues at the hospital came back to management.

“I think we have very, very serious problems,” he said.