1000-plus emergency nurses set to walk off

More than 1000 nurses could walk off the job next week as emergency departments across Adelaide continue to be stretched.

More than 1000 nurses could walk off the job as early as next week as emergency departments across Adelaide’s hospital network continue to be stretched to breaking point.

Following a crisis meeting yesterday of Health Minister Stephen Wade, clinicians and union leaders, South Australian Ambulance Employees Association secretary Phil Palmer said his members were also preparing to “mount a campaign”.

“But I won’t say what that may involve or when it may occur as I like the element of surprise,” he said.

Mr Palmer said incidents this week of “ramping” — where ­patients are treated in ambulances while awaiting a hospital bed — were the worst in memory.

They included one seven-hour wait at Flinders Medical Centre, and multiple 4½-hour waits at the Royal Adelaide ­Hospital.

“It’s like a slow-moving train wreck,” Mr Palmer said.

“(It’s) a disaster where our members are tied up on the ramps of all the hospitals and the community is not being looked after and there’s lives at risk.”

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Elizabeth Dabars said without an “urgent circuit-breaker”, more than 1000 emergency department nurses were “likely” to take industrial action.

“We’ve made it clear to the minister that our members will no longer accept another all-talk-no-action scenario. They’re at tipping point now,” she said.

She said some mental health patients were being treated in emergency departments for up to five days because of a lack of specialist staff and dedicated beds.