Nurses and midwives have kicked off a campaign against foreign-owned Healthscope, launching historic protected industrial action against the country’s second largest private hospital operator.
Hundreds of NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) members participated in two and three-hour work stoppages on Tuesday November 5, as they fight for an improved pay and conditions offer.
NSWNMA members are demanding a 15% one-year increase in line with the union’s public sector pay claim, mandated nurse/midwife to patient ratios across all wards and units, doubling night shift penalty rates from 15% to 30%, and improved leave entitlements.
NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said members voted emphatically in favour of taking a stand against Healthscope.
“More than 77% of members voted in the ballot, and over 95% of those who participated voted ‘Yes’. It’s clear our members are tired and fed up with the pay and conditions at Healthscope,” said Ms Candish.
“How does Healthscope think it is acceptable to pay its NSW nurses and midwives up to 16% less than their colleagues in Queensland-based Healthscope hospitals for the same work?
“Our members have been negotiating with Healthscope for almost six months now with little progress on our pay and conditions claim. Members feel they have no choice but to take industrial action, after being undervalued and receiving inadequate recognition for their incredible contribution to patients and workplaces.”
NSWNMA Northern Beaches Hospital Branch President, Sheridan Brady, said nurses and midwives at Healthscope deserved better.
“Our nurses and midwives are being pushed beyond what is manageable. We have a professional obligation and a moral conviction to give each patient the care they deserve. Sadly, it’s just not an option to give the best care we are capable of without safe staffing ratios,” said Ms Brady.
“We are haemorrhaging staff to the public sector, interstate or completely out of the profession. Poor staffing has led to burnout and fatigue and the daily dilemma of not being able to provide consistent quality care has left us broken. Our buckets are empty.
“We get less annual leave, maternity leave and personal leave than the public sector. Why would any nurse or midwife choose to work for Healthscope?
“The Northern Beaches Hospital is unique. We are a private hospital offering public health services, and this model was implemented by the former state government to replace the Manly and Mona Vale public hospitals. We have been excluded from the Safe Staffing ratios reform promised in the public health system. Our patients deserve the same level of care they would receive at any public hospital.”
NSWNMA members will also consider other forms of industrial action including overtime bans, bans on non-clinical duties such as answering phones and making beds, and refusing changes to rosters.
Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby, who attended the stoppage action in support of local Nurses and Midwives, said:
''I stood with nurses today who are calling for nurse to patient ratios and 15% pay rise from Healthscope.''
''Northern Beaches Hospital should never have been a Public-Private partnership. As a result NSW nurse ratios have not been implemented by the private operator and pay rises aren’t what they need to be.
As a result of no ratios nurses report patients being left in wet beds, not enough nurses to feed meals on time and longer waits in emergency.
Healthscope need to prioritise patient outcomes and that starts with employing nurses with better conditions.
I ask that anyone with an experience at NBH - either good or bad - to make a submission to the audit of the hospital currently underway. There is only10 days to go to have your voice heard.''
Wakehurst MP Michael Regan and Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby stood with NBH Nurses and Midwives during work stoppages. Photo: NSW Nurse and Midwives Association
Photo: NSW Nurse and Midwives Association
Mandated nurse-to-patient ratios were announced following the NSW Government’s Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce earlier this year, which prioritised boosting the number of frontline healthcare workers in all NSW public hospitals.
Northern Beaches Hospital, the only remaining Public-Private Partnership in NSW, is not subject to the mandated nurse-to-patient care ratios that operate in all other public hospitals in the State.
Dr Sophie Scamps, MP for Mackellar, said:
“This is simply unacceptable. The people of the Northern Beaches deserve to have the same quality of care and safety in our local hospital,”
“As a former emergency doctor, I know first-hand that providing the highest quality care to patients relies on hospitals being adequately staffed so that nurses and doctors are not overworked and can provide safe and effective care.” Dr Scamps said.
Northern Beaches Hospital nurses have asked Healthscope, the private operator of the hospital, to include equivalent nurse-to-patient ratios to those mandated in public hospitals in their latest Enterprise Bargaining negotiations without success, with the hospital operator refusing to agree to their request.
“Our nurses and midwives are being pushed beyond what is manageable,” NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Northern Beaches Hospital Branch President Sheridan Brady said.
“We have a professional obligation and a moral conviction to give each patient the care they deserve. Sadly, it’s just not an option to give the best care we are capable of without safe staffing ratios..
Nurses have also asked for improved working conditions - including a pay rise after years of stagnant wages, better maternity leave, carers leave and other entitlements - which are far below other hospitals, forcing many nurses to move to public hospitals, interstate or take a second job to stay afloat.
“As this issue clearly illustrates, having a private entity running a public hospital is problematic.
I am proud of the work I have achieved with Michael Regan, the State Member for Wakehurst, in getting a full performance audit of the hospital and I urge the community to make a submission,” Dr Scamps said.
Submissions to the public audit of Northern Beaches Hospital close Friday November 15 and can be made here: www.audit.nsw.gov.au/our-work/reports/northernbeaches-hospital
