City hospital staffing frustrations reach boiling point

A key Tasmanian hospital has responded to union claims of a staffing crisis as reports of shortages keep rolling in. LATEST UNION CLAIMS >>

THE Tasmanian Health Service has denied transferring patients interstate due to staff shortages amid claims nurses are being inundated with text messages to help fill shifts.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation on Tuesday said the Tasmanian Branch had been contacted by members at the Royal Hobart Hospital and services in the state’s south regarding staffing concerns.

The union claims members are receiving regular or multiple daily text messages requesting that they pick up extra shifts due to rostered shortfalls or unexpected leave.

Members are also predicting 900 rostered shortfalls for the month of April and a 15 per cent vacancy rate across Tasmanian Health Services South.

Campbell Street entrance to the Royal Hobart Hospital.

ANMF representative and Registered Nurse Gracie Patten told the Mercury in October there was already an increasingly high level of demand for staff to do double shifts and work overtime hours to meet the needs of the hospital.

Ms Patten said things had not changed at all.

“It’s exactly the same, if not worse,” Ms Patten said.

“People are just exhausted.”

Ms Patten has kept screenshots of the text messages to show the level of daily pressure.

She said she only said yes to work the extreme extra hours because she could never turn her back on patients.

ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said one member reported that in a four-week period they received 70 text messages asking them to pick up extra shifts.

“It is incredibly concerning that staff shortages have continued and are now reaching crisis point,” she said.

Registered Nurse Gracie Patten an ANMF representative. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“Members should not be receiving daily contact asking them to pick up extra shifts, come in early, or do double shifts just to meet basic safe staffing levels.”

Ms Shepherd said that last week she became aware of a post-theatre patient that had to be flown to Victoria as the RHH didn’t have the required staff to care for the patient, a claim the state government denied.

“No patients have been transferred interstate due to staffing shortages. Patients are primarily transferred interstate to receive treatment that is not available in Tasmania,” a Tasmanian Health Service spokesman said.

The spokesman said the RHH had seen increased demand on its services over the last few weeks, including an increase in emergency department presentations.

“As is standard practice, surgery is always prioritised to ensure the most critical cases get the treatment and care they need as a priority,” he said.

“The Royal Hobart Hospital also continues to actively recruit more staff to meet increasing patient demand.”

Ms Shepherd and Ms Patten both expressed concerns for the shortage of experienced staff coming into the winter months that often see a large increase in patient numbers due to issues such as influenza and bronchitis.