An audit by the Nurses and Midwives Association has found Belmont Hospital is operating with less than the minimum number of nurses required.
The association has received complaints from staff who say they are having to cope with a heavy workload and excessive overtime.
General Secretary, Brett Holmes, says "Belmont Hospital failed to meet its minimum requirement for nursing staff for all but two weeks between January and August."
"The number of safe staffing hours is five hours per patient per day which hasn't been the case at Belmont."
The Industrial Relations Commission has ordered Hunter New England Health to fulfil the minimum number of staffing hours required under the award, with spot checks to be carried out until December.
