Blacktown Hospital: Midwives, nurses walk out after five newborn deaths

A chronic lack of staff has prompted more than 100 nurses to walk off the job at a Western Sydney hospital where five babies have died in 18 months.

More than 100 nurses and midwives at Blacktown Hospital have gone on strike for 24 hours following a “critical” dispute with management over staffing, and the deaths of five babies in 18 months.

Following ongoing tensions over understaffing across the maternity unit in one of Sydney’s busiest hospitals, midwives and nurses walked off the job at 4pm on Thursday and will not return until Friday afternoon.

Blacktown Hospital nurses walk off the job.

Footage posted online showed the nurses marching out of Blacktown’s front entrance before chanting “Nurses midwives under attack, what do we do, stand up fight back,” and “mums matter babies count” on the hospital lawns.

Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association who work at Blacktown Hospital met with management to discuss problems with understaffing, but began industrial action after the hospital offered a review into staffing and fewer new positions than demanded.

NSWNMA general secretary Brett Holmes said Blacktown Hospital was in “dire” need of staffing reform after birthrates at the hospital increased by 52 per cent since 2015.

He said staffing in maternity and natal positions had risen only 11 per cent during the baby boom, and midwives and nurses were “run off their feet”.

“They have experienced extraordinary growth in numbers of babies being delivered but the staffing levels have remained the same … midwives and nursing staff and exhausted and distressed, going to work each day and being asked to do the impossible,” Mr Holmes said.

“They’re run off their feet for 14 to 15 hours if they get asked to do a double shift, with the possibility of another double the following day …(the strike) is the consequence of long-term frustration with not being listened to or supported.”

The union says a local baby boom has left nurses and midwives ‘exhausted and distressed’.

NSWNMA data has revealed 4100 births expected by the end of 2020, almost 400 more than in 2018 when midwifery roles at Blacktown were last increased following a review process.

It comes as 20 obstetricians at the hospital threatened to resign last week after four newborn deaths in 18 months.

A fifth newborn died at the hospital two days later.

NSW Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said action from NSW Health and Minister Brad Hazzard was “promising” but more work would need to be done to fix the hospital’s situation.

“We saw similar strike action with doctors last week and had a great response from all levels of health, these conversations have begun,” Dr McMullen said.

“We think things need to change, there’s increased funding needed due to a number of issues around resourcing … we need to make sure the (maternity) unit can provide good quality safe care to women and families.”

A Blacktown Hospital spokeswoman said Western Sydney Health District executives had met with midwives and the hospital was “committed” to listening to the concerns of staff.

“While the district maintains staffing resources are allocated appropriately in line with relevant regulatory frameworks, discussions were held in good faith about the immediate recruitment of additional staff,” she said.

“Our priority is first and foremost patient care and safety. we remain committed to supporting our midwives and responding to their concerns.”