Nurses rally as crisis worsens

Nurses and midwives rallied outside the Wyong office of Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Wyong David Harris on Monday, December 9, as they continue to fight for improved staffing levels and a pay rise.

As the holiday season fast approaches, members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) voiced their frustration over staffing shortages and raised awareness of their ongoing fight for better pay and conditions.

Central Coast nurses and midwives fear not enough nursing staff will be available to deliver safe care to patients over the Summer, after calculating 14,000 hours of missed nursing care since January at Wyong Hospital alone.

NSWNMA Wyong Hospital Branch President Kelly Falconer said members were exhausted and were calling on Harris to stand up for local nurses and midwives and the delivery of healthcare on the Coast.

“Nurses and midwives at Wyong Hospital have been raising concerns about staffing shortages forever, but still nothing happens,” she said.

“We can’t continue to work like this, our patients deserve better.

“We will not be able to attract or retain the nursing staff we need to deliver care if our state government doesn’t address the demoralising pay disparity we have with other states and territories – it is crippling our public health system.”

Falconer said hospitals on the Central Coast were facing a crisis.

“At Wyong Hospital there were 14,116 nursing hours missing from basic cares from January to November this year,” she said.

“The equivalent of 1,765 nursing shifts were unfilled this year and not all wards are included, so the count is much higher.”

Falconer said throughout the Central Coast Local Health District 5,500 shifts were not filled this year.

“This is a huge crisis that won’t be resolved without a fair pay rise and safe staffing,” she said.

NSWNMA members from Wyong, Woy Woy and Gosford hospitals and mental health units are seeking support from residents to encourage Harris to champion their calls in the NSW Parliament and to highlight the pay disparities for NSW nurses and midwives compared to Queensland and Victoria.