Tasmanian Labor has backed nurses’ and midwives’ efforts to resolve unsafe staffing levels and conditions at the state’s hospitals and testing and vaccination clinics.
Shadow Health Minister Anita Dow said the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has given the State Government until next Monday to provide safe staffing outcomes for members or industrial action may be taken.
“Nurses and midwives have been raising concerns about chronic understaffing at the state’s major hospitals and testing and vaccination clinics, since before the borders reopened on 15 December,” Ms Dow said.
“But despite this, the ANMF says it still hasn’t received a plan from the government to resolve ongoing and sustained unreasonable workloads.
“Without a way forward, the ANMF has given the government until next Monday to establish safe staffing outcomes or it will not rule out industrial action.
“The government has also been asked to provide data on vacancy levels broken down to wards and units by this Friday ahead of a report-back conference at the Tasmanian Industrial Commission on Monday.
“Our healthcare workers have been pushed to breaking point for far too long because the health system is simply not coping and they are beyond tired of being ignored.
“That was already clear well before the borders opened, so there is no excuse for the government to have ignored their concerns, allowing the situation to worsen when COVID returned to Tasmania.
“Our nurses and midwives, along with all of our healthcare workers have worked so hard to keep us safe. The very least this government can do in return is to adequately staff our health system and support our healthcare workers to keep them safe.”
Anita Dow MP
Shadow Health Minister
