Belmore Park, Goulburn: Southern Tablelands nurses and midwives rally for staff to patient ratios

150 nurses and midwives from the Southern Tablelands joined in the second statewide strike within two months, after the Nurses and Midwives Association announced an internal staffing emergency.

Around 150 nurses and midwives from the Southern Tablelands stood strong in what is part of the second 24-hour statewide strike within two months.

Demonstrators chanted on Thursday morning:

“When health care is under attack, what do we do? Stand up and fight back.”

As part of the statewide strike organised by NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, nurses and midwives from Goulburn, Crookwell, Yass and Bowral gathered on Thursday.

The gathering at Belmore Park in Goulburn was one of more than 20 rallies taking place in NSW.

It came after the Nurses and Midwives’ Association reported multiple “code yellow” incidents in the past five weeks, signalling an internal staffing emergency.

Midwives and nurses from Goulburn, Crookwell, Yass and Bowral spoke of their need for staff-to-patient ratios and a pay rise.

Two women from the Goulburn branch of the Nurses and Midwives’ Association discuss the reasons they're striking.

A union member of the Goulburn branch said that their nurses were working at “dangerous shift levels.”

“We’re exhausted, we’re doing so many overtime shifts, we’re working short-staffed and it is not okay,” she said.

“Our health care workers deserve ratios. ACT and QLD already have them, why can’t we?”

President of Goulburn District Unions (GDU), Anna Wurth-Crawford, Goulburn Mulwaree Councillor / GDU member Jason Shephard and GDU member Greg Evans.

Goulburn District Unions President and former nurse, Anna Wurth-Crawford, said that midwives are struggling to provide care to mothers and babies.

“At Goulburn a worker came in and was told there would be no midwives on that shift, and that paramedics would come in and look after the pending births,” Ms Wurth-Crawford said.

“Once a union got involved, they found a midwife.”

She also mentioned a tragic story she heard in the oncology department in Goulburn.

“I heard a story from a woman who was to go in for chemotherapy at oncology, and was told that there were not enough staff and it had to be postponed,” Ms Wurth-Crawford said.

“Imagine that – you are going in for lifesaving chemotherapy and are told you would have to delay it.”

Later that day, the woman received a call saying an oncology nurse would be sent from a different hospital to administer the chemotherapy.

Demonstrators at the Goulburn nurses and midwives strike on Thursday.

Union member from Bowral, Jenny Archer, said: “We have been exploited yet we still continue to turn up for shifts.

“Staff are at breaking point.

“We work in the healthcare profession but we can’t even care for ourselves.”

Former nurse in the Southern Tablelands, Guanita, spoke of her experience.

In what was a sobering listening experience for all, Guanita, a former nurse in the Southern Tablelands shared her reason for ending her nursing career.

“I was medically discharged on April 9 2020 with PTSD caused by my workplace,” Guanita said.

“The night that I last worked there I was in charge of 19 patients.

“I have been shot at, I have been punched in the face, I have watched children come to emergency for help and no help being provided.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who out of my experience are not even in the conversation.”

Mental health nurses at the Goulburn nurses and midwives strike on Thursday.

Mental health nurses also shared how overwhelmed they were with patient ratios.

One man said: “Last week I was on the morning and afternoon shift and the in-charge was looking after the whole ward on their own, with 20-something patients,”

The mental health nurses said that most of the senior staff have left due to burnout and that new staff members are coming in without enough support.

“They are being put into a dangerous environment that they don’t know how to deal with,” a male nurse said.

“On average staff are getting injured once in a couple of months.”

Nurses and midwives gathered outside member for Goulburn and Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman's office this morning to demand staff to patient ratios.

At Thursday’s rally, demonstrators took their chants to local member for Goulburn and Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman’s office.

Ms Tuckerman was not there at the time.

“I understand the protesters out the front of my Goulburn electorate office were disappointed that I was unable to hear their concerns directly – however it is a parliament sitting week and a legal requirement for me to be in attendance in Sydney,” Ms Tuckerman said.

“I – and the NSW Government and NSW Health – remain committed to reaching a resolution in the best interests of patients, communities and all our healthcare workers.”