Nurses vote to strike as Omicron intensifies staff shortages

Nurses across NSW have voted to stage a mass strike for the first time in almost a decade amid a dispute over hospital staffing levels, pay and working conditions.

The likelihood of thousands of nurses stopping work on February 15 has edged closer after a ballot by the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association resulted in the majority of 200 branches endorsing industrial action.

Some of Sydney’s biggest hospitals which have borne the brunt of the state’s Delta and Omicron waves – including Royal Prince Alfred, Prince of Wales, Liverpool and Westmead – could be hit by mass walkouts of nurses and midwives for between eight and 24 hours.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association represents more than 48,000 nurses and midwives working in NSW public hospitals.Credit: Kate Geraghty

Despite the Omicron wave easing, the move will put further pressure on NSW hospitals, which are still under red alert operations, with visitors restricted and grappling with more than 2800 health staff off work due to COVID-19 exposure – the majority of those nurses – and more than 100 hospitals across the state caring for coronavirus patients.

“We’ve been hearing from nurses about growing anger over their experiences in hospitals during COVID-19 and short staffing, but it’s just been accelerated during Omicron,” NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary Brett Holmes said.

“Unless there is improvement in patient-to-staff ratios then we will lose more experienced nurses, which will cause a huge shortfall in skills and worse outcomes for patients,” Mr Holmes said. “Nurses have been doing their best to cope but with staff working double shifts and overtime they are not confident they are delivering the care patients need.”

Frustrated nurses say mandated nurse-to-patient ratios for each shift, similar to those in place in Queensland and Victoria, are needed to ensure patient safety. They are also calling for a pay rise above 2.5 per cent to recognise the additional burden placed on the workforce during the pandemic.

Nurses have previously called for a COVID-19 allowance, as has been adopted in Victoria, to incentivise staff working during COVID-19. Last week Victoria extended the coronavirus hospital surge support allowance to March 31.

The NSW union represents more than 48,000 nurses and midwives working in public hospitals. Skeleton staff will remain during the strike for urgent care, to treat critically unwell patients and preserve life.

If the strike proceeds, it will be held on the first parliamentary sitting day of the year, with nurses expected to gather outside multiple regional hospitals and at NSW Parliament on Macquarie Street. It will be the first statewide nurses’ strike since 2013.

Mr Holmes said the majority of state branches voted in favour of the action, but the ballot is still open and more votes are expected by Thursday.

The Herald understands nurses and midwives at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital are considering walking out for up to 24 hours, at Westmead Hospital for up to 12 hours and at Liverpool and Blacktown hospitals for up to eight hours.

Leading Australian employment and industrial law barrister Ian Neil, SC, said the NSW Industrial Relations Commission does retain powers to order the industrial action be blocked.

“But it would be a significant intervention by the commission if they moved to stop it. In making any orders to prevent a strike the commission would take into account the public interest, but it would be a large step to exercise those powers,” Mr Neil said.

The looming strike action comes as NSW resists a mandate for a third vaccine for healthcare workers. Mr Holmes said the government needed to give serious consideration to the potential implications of a mandate, including “several steps ... taken to ensure that we don’t lose too many more healthcare workers.”

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said this week the state was taking a “gentle, nuanced” approach to the booster uptake for healthcare workers.

Almost 1000 healthcare workers resigned or were sacked after refusing to receive two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Herald revealed last month.

NSW Health defended current staffing ratios, saying a flexible approach allowed for better care.

“The flexible ratio system used in NSW Health is a multifaceted approach and
considers the numbers of patients, their complexity, acuity and care needs whilst
allowing for the professional judgment of nurses and managers to adjust staffing
levels to reflect the changing care needs of patients,” a spokesperson said.

In the past decade, the nursing workforce increased by almost 10,000, the spokesperson said.

The government is also “investing in a further 5000 nurses and midwives from
2019-2022 under a record $2.8 billion boost to frontline staff”.

There are 2068 coronavirus patients in NSW hospitals, including 132 in intensive care.

“It is pleasing to see the decline in hospitalisation and ICU admissions and we’re hoping that that trend continues,” Dr Kerry Chant said on Tuesday.

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