Cuts in shifts mean less income and less patient care, say nurses

NEW shift cuts at the Royal Hobart Hospital will leave nurses “out of pocket”, unions and Labor warn.

Nurses stop work at the Royal Hobart Hospital last year. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

CUTS to shifts at the Royal Hobart Hospital will leave nurses “out of pocket” and could lead to more mistakes, unions and Labor warn.

A Health Department memo issued to RHH managers and rostering staff obtained by the Mercury mandates reduced shifts for all casual and part-time staff undertaking additional work.

The reduction in shift times from eight hours to six is understood to have come into effect from late last week.

“Wherever possible, six-hour shifts must be offered to all casual, call-in and part-time staff undertaking additional shifts for either day, early or late shift work,” the memo read.

It said that in instances “where continuous observation is required a seven-hour shift may be offered”.

Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation executive director Andrew Brakey said the loss of up to two hours per shift for staff would require many nurses to work an extra shift each fortnight to meet their financial needs.

It comes two months after Tasmanian nurses accepted a State Government pay offer of a 2.1 per cent pay rise for 12 months.

Mr Brakey said the reduction in shift times, which he said would take away changeover time between staff, was a “shortsighted” cost-cutting measure that ultimately would cost the department more by having to pay overtime wages.

One RHH nurse, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Mercury “it will lead to higher incidence of error”.

“Obviously it means reduced income for staff and when staff shifts aren’t overlapping that takes away from patient care,” they said.

In a letter issued to Tasmanian Health Service statewide executive director Susan Gannon, Mr Brakey said the reductions had caused distress among union members.

Included in the letter was correspondence from a member which read: “If nurses needed any more reasons to leave the RHH this is it.

“I have worked for public hospitals for 25 years and for the first time ever I am rethinking my employment options.”

When asked why the changes had been implemented, a department spokesman said “seven-hour shifts are allowed if handover is required and longer shifts can occur if they are required clinically”.

Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said Premier Will Hodgman had broken his promise not to cut frontline services.

“This memo confirms Hodgman’s health razor gang is now in full swing and frontline services are not exempt,” she said.

Health Minister Sarah Courtney said the State Government was committed to providing better health care for Tasmanians.

“We are spending a greater share of the total State Budget on health, with more staff and more beds opened since coming to Government,” she said.