Nurses have walked off the job for the second time this month, as the state government calls for an immediate end to industrial action it claims is putting patients at risk.
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It comes as public sector nurses and midwives continue to seek an outcome for ongoing enterprise agreement negotiations.
On Wednesday about 40 Launceston General Hospital theatre nurses stopped work for a hour, with similar action planned for the Royal Hobart Hospital on Thursday.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch secretary Emily Shepherd said union members had been left with no choice.
“Our members have become increasingly frustrated with the protracted state of negotiations with still no positive outcome,” she said.
“Our members do not engage in stop work activities like these lightly.
“They believe that in taking this action, they are standing up for their own safety as well as their patients.”
However, Health Minister Michael Ferguson has condemned the action, accusing ANMF bosses of impacting patient care.
“Today we have seen action to disrupt surgery at the Launceston General Hospital, and last week patient care was directly undermined by nurses at the Royal Hobart Hospital who refused to staff surgical theatres,” he said.
“Under last week’s actions, there was an incident where members ignored instructions from anaesthetics and nursing co-ordinators in relation to treatment of patients requiring emergency surgery.
“This behaviour places patients at risk and is entirely unacceptable. The ANMF previously claimed their actions would not hurt our patients.
“It is now apparent that the union bosses' intention is to withdraw necessary care and disadvantage patients who are clinically in need of surgery.”
Mr Ferguson said the government’s offer of a 6 per cent pay rise over three years was reasonable and would enable the employment of more front line staff.
However, Ms Shepherd said the 2 per cent wage cap would make Tasmanian nurses and midwives the lowest paid by April 2019, and 7.5 per cent below the national average.
“The state needs to act to recognise nurses and midwives and make an offer that retains and recruits across the entire public health system,” she said.
“The public has heard about the dire state that hospitals in the Tasmanian Health System have been under recently.
“What they don’t often hear though, is that it is the nurses who work within the system that are keeping patients safe with their dedication to their profession and continuous overtime and double shifts.
“The Tasmanian Government must act now to recognise this contribution before our states valued nurses and midwives burnout and say enough is enough.”
Industrial action is expected to continue into the new year.
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
