06
Nov 2024
Nurses at Northern Beaches Hospital Begin Strike
Published in News on November 06, 2024
Nearly 300 nurses from Northern Beaches Hospital are striking this morning until 9:30 am. The Manly Observer is on site and will provide a full report later today.
Medical staff have voiced concerns, calling it risky that the privately operated hospital is continuing with elective surgeries during the strike.
Sheridan Brady, President of the NSWNMA Northern Beaches Hospital Branch, stated that nurses and midwives at Healthscope deserve improved conditions.
Sheridan Brady, President of the NSWNMA Northern Beaches Hospital Branch, expressed frustration over working conditions, stating, "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."
She highlighted the emotional toll on staff, saying, “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.”
Ms. Brady further explained, "We receive less annual leave, maternity leave, and personal leave than our public sector counterparts. Why would any nurse or midwife choose to work for Healthscope?"
Discussing the hospital’s unique role, she added, "The Northern Beaches Hospital is a private hospital providing public health services. This model was set up by the former state government to replace the Manly and Mona Vale public hospitals. Yet 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."
In response, a Healthscope spokesperson expressed disappointment over the industrial action, emphasizing, "Our top priority is to provide our patients with the best possible care, and we have contingency plans to ensure business as usual during the strike."
The spokesperson stated that Healthscope had made a "market-leading wage offer" and engaged in good faith negotiations with NSWNMA, adding, "We have listened carefully to staff and consulted with them throughout the EBA process, and we will continue to do so to reach an agreement that’s fair and sustainable."
Currently, Northern Beaches Hospital is undergoing an independent audit.
For those travelling to Northern Beaches Hospital, there are a number of accommodation options nearby to support visiting families. Guides on short-term hospital accommodation can help patients and their families find convenient places to stay during treatment, easing the challenges faced when supporting a loved one in the hospital.
![A Medicare bulk-billed urgent care clinic, established by the federal government to help reduce emergency department pressures, has unexpectedly closed in Bundaberg, Queensland, less than a year after opening. Located 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, this clinic was one of 75 launched across Australia since June 2023 to redirect non-life-threatening cases away from hospitals, allow emergency departments to focus on the most critical cases.
Since its opening in November last year, the Bundaberg Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) has provided care to hundreds of patients. However, it unexpectedly closed its doors on October 22, with plans to reopen a week later. A sign now indicates that it is "closed until further notice." This makes the Bundaberg UCC the only one of its kind in Australia to shut down.
Patient Sue Hackett expressed her surprise upon arriving at the clinic on Tuesday when she found it closed. “I looked on the website, and it actually showed it was open... I've come here assuming they're open,” Ms. Hackett said.
Julie Sturgess, chief executive of the region's public health network Country to Coast, told the ABC that she could not provide specific details regarding the reasons behind the abrupt closure of the Bundaberg Urgent Care Clinic. “There are ongoing negotiations with the provider of that service,” Ms. Sturgess stated.
In response to the closure, a free phone service called Connect2Care has been established, allowing callers to speak with a registered nurse for their urgent care needs. “If further care is required, such as seeing a GP, we can organize an appointment either with your regular GP or a phone or video consultation with an online GP through that service,” Ms. Sturgess explained.
Additionally, some GP practices in Bundaberg are extending their hours to accommodate extra appointments. The Bundaberg UCC was operated by the Indigenous Wellbeing Centre (IWC), a non-profit Aboriginal-controlled health organization that serves the entire community. The IWC has declined to comment on the closure.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler informed the ABC that services at the Bundaberg Urgent Care Clinic are expected to resume shortly.
The Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) has expressed ongoing concerns regarding the viability of the federal government's urgent care clinic program. AMAQ President Nick Yim emphasized that these clinics often duplicate services already provided by GP clinics. “We believe the federal funding for these clinics would be better invested in existing general practices around the state,” Dr. Yim stated.
Sue Hackett shared that she was able to secure a same-day appointment at a GP clinic, but it would come at a cost. “I just want to go to a place where I can get sorted with my medical condition, plus I don’t have to pay,” she expressed, highlighting the challenges many face in accessing affordable healthcare.
Tim Spargo, the owner of the pharmacy located next to the Urgent Care Clinic, emphasized the critical role the clinic has played in the community. He noted that when travellers forgot their chronic condition medications or prescriptions, he could direct them to the UCC for assistance. “In the 11 months that it's been open, it has really served a vital purpose … it has taken that pressure off [emergency departments],” Mr. Spargo stated, expressing the urgent need for such services in the area.
"What's clear is that federal Labor is unable to deliver on their commitments, and the people of Bundaberg and the surrounding district, who desperately need additional services, have been let down," he said. "No matter who you talk to, whether it's the GPs themselves or others, they are just overrun with work, and what should be a godsend is now closed."
In response, Mr Butler reiterated that patients can still receive assistance through the phone line, which will "help ensure the Bundaberg community's urgent care needs continue to be met."
Meanwhile, newly elected Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has pledged an additional half a billion dollars to reduce ramping across the state to below 30 per cent over the next four years. Queensland Health data from April to June this year indicates that 44.7 per cent of patients were not transferred off ambulance stretchers within 30 minutes. This issue is particularly pressing for Bundaberg Hospital, which has been struggling with high demand and limited resources. Crisafulli also promised to recruit 34,200 additional health workers by 2032.](https://c3eeedc15c0611d84c18-6d9497f165d09befa49b878e755ba3c4.ssl.cf4.rackcdn.com/photos/blogs/article-832-1730723697.jpg "Bundaberg Urgent Care Clinic Closes Abruptly, Leaving Patients in Uncertainty")
