COVER STORY
MORE THAN 400 NORTH COAST NURSES MARCHED THROUGH LISMORE, LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED. “THEY’RE HERE BECAUSE THEY’VE GOT ONE CAUSE IN MIND: WE NEED RATIOS. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE PROFESSION. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE,” A NURSE TOLD NBN TV NEWS.
IN YASS ON THE SOUTHERN TABLELANDS, ABOUT 40 NURSES JOINED A PROTEST WHILE WARNING THAT THE LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IS IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE IF THE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T TAKE URGENT ACTION. “WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROUTE, THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE NO HEALTH SYSTEM LEFT; WE WILL HAVE NOTHING,” NSWNMA YASS DISTRICT HOSPITAL BRANCH PRESIDENT PAUL HAINES TOLD THE GOULBURN POST. AROUND 110 NURSES HELD A RALLY IN TAMWORTH. THE STRONG TURNOUT FOLLOWED AN OPEN LETTER FROM TAMWORTH BASE HOSPITAL STAFF TO THE HUNTER NEW ENGLAND LHD, NOTING THE HOSPITAL HAD 19 FTE NURSE VACANCIES IN THE ED AND THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH NURSING STAFF TO FILL THE BASE NURSING ROSTER. WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE OPEN LETTER BEING CIRCULATED, OVER 200 STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL SIGNED ON, DESPERATE TO RESOLVE THE STAFFING CRISIS.
THE LAMP APRIL/MAY 2022 | 17