Medical lobby fighting emergency department hospital work load issues at Launceston General

Emergency department nurses at a Tasmanian hospital are stressed and struggling with workloads, with the state’s peak nursing body now escalating the problem to a specialist panel.

• Unnecessary deaths at state hospital, doctors say
• Fixing bed block ‘not impossible’

EMERGENCY department nurses at a Tasmanian hospital are stressed and struggling with workloads, with the state’s peak nursing body now escalating the problem to a specialist panel for resolution.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Foundation Tasmanian branch secretary Emily Shepherd said the state government had not fixed bed block at the Launceston General Hospital despite years of pleading from members and the union.

ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd. Picture: PATRICK GEE

“Re-assessment of nurse staffing levels conducted by the ANMF and Tasmanian Health Service shows the ED needs significant numbers of additional nurses,” she said.

“However, ANMF members believe this won’t be enough to resolve longstanding concerns related to unrelenting bed block.

“ED nurses had endorsed the workplace grievance escalation plan to adhere to the appropriate processes but they are well and truly fed up with the stress under which they work day in and day out — levels of stress which have gone unrecognised for years.”

She said the ANMF was calling for additional triage nurses and a nurse practitioner to work with the clinical initiatives nurse.

“We need staffing ratios which would see one ED nurse to three patients, and one dedication resuscitation nurse per resuscitation bay 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” she said.

“This is in line with the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia recommendations.”

Ms Shepherd said their next step would be taking the issue to the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

Opposition health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said Health Minister Sarah Courtney needed to have a crisis meeting with hospital staff.

The Launceston General Hospital. Picture: PATRICK GEE

“No additional resources were allocated to the LGH to respond to the increased patient workload when opening hours were cut at the Mersey ED,” she said.

“Patient safety is being compromised and this cannot be allowed to go on.”

A state government spokesperson said senior hospital management continued to actively engage with staff and key stakeholders to consider solutions to longstanding patient flow and demand challenges.

They said the government and Tasmania Health Service had been taking action to boost patient flow and capacity at the hospital.

This included a total increase of 100 full-time equivalent roles compared to 12 months ago, the implementation of a permanent patient flow team, and changes being made to medical science rosters and an increase in staffing levels to support enhanced diagnostic pathology testing.

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