THE state’s country health department has made a surprising backflip and will boost nursing levels at Mount Gambier Hospital following a protracted and “difficult” industrial campaign by staff.
This is despite Country Health SA previously rejecting the need for more nursing staff.
The agreement – brokered by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA – will result in the equivalent of six new full-time nurses working within months at the hospital.
Describing the result as a major “win” for nursing staff and the community, the federation’s chief executive officer Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said health bureaucrats “finally caved in” after months of fruitless negotiations.
Ms Dabars said the outcome came with “mixed emotions” given the stress being placed on staff by the inaction of health officials.
“It is extremely disappointing that it has taken so long for the legitimate claims of these nurses and midwives to be recognised by Country Health SA,” Ms Dabars said.
“Nurses and midwives should not have to resort to industrial action to protect the standards of care they provide, but that’s exactly what had to happen in this instance.”
She said the closeness of the communities meant nurses and midwives often knew their patients, which led many of the union’s members to feel a personal responsibility to meet the needs of their patients over and above their capacity.
“Despite the protracted and difficult dispute, these results mean 2018 will bring better care for regional patients and more manageable workloads for the nurses and midwives caring for them,” Ms Dabars said.
In finalising negotiations with the federation, Country Health SA has agreed for the first time to staff labour and delivery services in addition to the numbers of staff on the wards.
Discussions will also continue around new models of midwifery care that will improve services provided to regional women and increase job satisfaction for midwives.
Country Health SA has now pledged 20 additional full-time nurses and midwives across four of the state’s largest country hospitals.
Under the agreement, most wards affected will welcome additional staff, equating to one or two shifts per day.
As a result, the hospitals will need to recruit additional staff over the next few months to meet the new staffing standards.
Shadow Health Minister Stephen Wade welcomed the agreement, but has called for the State Government to review the funding for Country Health SA.
He said it was an opportune time to revisit the country health budget given it was around the time of the mid-year review.
“The Liberal Party welcomes the resolution of the industrial issue,” Mr Wade said.
“We are concerned Country Health SA officials were in denial of the staffing issues.”
He said these issues were being driven by a lack of funding from the State Government, which was placing pressure on staffing levels.
Mr Wade said the government was spending nearly $1b in metropolitan hospitals this year, but little capital works money had flowed to country hospitals.
“Health Minister Peter Malinauskas came to Mount Gambier and visited the renal unit and pledged no money for its upgrade, but went back to Adelaide and announced $90m for the Modbury Hospital,” he said.
“Country health services have been treated very poorly.”
