Port Macquarie: Patient safety comprised due to ‘overworked, underpaid’ nurses and midwives
The welfare of Port Macquarie nurses and midwives has reached a tipping point, according to local union president Mark Brennan, who says underpaid and overworked staff are calling him in tears about their current working conditions.
Mid-North Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mid-North Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Decision made on $1.8B Coffs Harbour bypass plan
- VOTE NOW: The Mid-North Coast’s best hairdresser of 2020
Nurses and midwives marched on the grounds of Port Macquarie Base Hospital as one on Wednesday, calling on the NSW Government to take urgent action in the fight for better pay and work conditions for local healthcare workers.
Led by NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) Port Macquarie president, Mark Brennan, about 50 healthcare workers took time off duty this morning to oppose a new 12-bed facility which opened on Monday to clear a backlog of elective surgeries wait-times.
The new facility, which the Mid-North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) says aims to safely provide extra capacity for the care of our patients, has sparked a wave of backlash from staff who say there isn’t adequate resourcing to cope with the demand in new beds.
Mr Brennan said the roll-out of the new beds has reached a tipping point for staff, who are calling him in tears about the hospital’s already stretched working environment.
“I’m getting calls constantly, nurses in tears, stressed and concerned about their working conditions and the safety of patients,” he said.
“We are in bed lock every single day, we are operating anywhere between 106 and 110 per cent capacity daily.
“Beds are blocked, we are surged every day. Ambulances are being held up in the ED bay because they can’t offload their patients due to lack of beds so they have to wait there so a bed becomes available.”
He said that it’s great beds are being freed up, but there’s no new full-time permanent nurses or midwives on the ground to cater to the increase.
“We need more nurses, full time not part time, not contracted nurses, we need full time nurses on the ground in the base hospital now,” he said.
“We want safe patient care – this is all about advocating for our patients. We are concerned for our patients.”
The opening of additional beds at Port Macquarie Base Hospital, which are staffed in accordance with the relevant awards and NSW guidelines, aims to safely provide extra capacity for the care of our patients.
Stewart Dowrick, chief executive of Mid North Coast Local Health District, said consultation was undertaken with the Health Services Union (HSU) and NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) – and both associations were advised of MNCLHD intention to use the space from Monday.
Mr Dowrick said the Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 867 full time equivalent staff between mid-2012 and mid-2020, increase of 31.8 per cent.
“Including 119 more doctors, 391 more nurses and midwives, and 56 more allied health staff,” he said.
“In 2019-20, MNCLHD invested $673 million in its health services, an increase of $31 million on the previous financial year’s annualised budget.
“The NSW Government has committed an extra $21 million for elective surgery across Mid North Coast Local Health District, enabling additional staff to be employed and extra procedures to be undertaken.”
But Mr Brennan claims the numbers don’t account for the ‘natural attrition rate’ of staff who have retired, or moved on from the hospital.
“What that doesn’t state is the natural attrition of people retiring and people leaving,” he said.
“We also have a new grad program whereby nurses are on a 12-month contract, but once that contract is finished, they are no longer employed by base hospital.
He said the opening of the 12-bed facility is not the main reason behind today’s rally, it just presented concerned members with an opportunity to open up about issues simmering beneath the surface.
“This [staff resourcing issues] has been happening over a period of time well before COVID,” he said.
“We’ve had an influx of communities move to Port Macquarie and the hospital is just not dealing with the influx of the new residents.”
He said his members were also very concerned about a public sector pay freeze flagged in next week’s state budget by NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.
“Off the back of a 0.3 per cent public sector wage freeze last month, NSWNMA members are also devastated the Berejiklian Government plans to introduce a 1.5 per cent cap on public sector wages in next week’s NSW Budget.”