Blacktown Hospital midwives threatening industrial action over shortages

Описание: Nurses and midwives at Sydney’s Blacktown Hospital are threatening to take industrial action unless Western Sydney Local Health District addresses patient safety and personal wellbeing concerns prompted by staff shortages.

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association General-Secretary Brett Holmes told Sky News the maternity staff in Blacktown have reached “a point where they can’t take any more and they have made it very clear to management”.

He said in the past 18 months, five neonatal deaths had occurred at the Blacktown Hospital.

“It’s a tragedy for the families affected but it’s also very traumatic for all staff involved in those various incidents and tragic incidents,” Mr Holmes said.

“If they don’t speak up and if this is not fixed then they too personally are at risk of losing their registration and losing their career.

“Every death is tragic in maternity, it’s an area where everyone expects a positive outcome and when you see tragedies it has a very searing and deep impact upon all staff and of course the families and the community.”

He revealed the concerned staff met with the executive chief officer of LHD yesterday with their list of complaints, and would consider the answer this afternoon as it was set to be handed back around midday.

He said the state government needed to ensure the hospital was fully funded so that extra staff could be employed.