Allied health professionals, cleaners, and kitchen staff gathered outside the John Hunter Hospital during their lunch break today in order to support their colleagues facing uncertain futures at Maitland Hospital.
At 12.30pm a staff rally was held to highlight their concerns to the community over the delivery of public health services in the new Maitland Hospital at Metford.
"What we want to do is highlight to the Government that we might be out in the regional area but we're just as important as the other four hospitals that are now being publically funded", says Cindy Paull from the Health Services Union, "Maitland deserves exactly the same treatment".
Staff from the John Hunter Hospital rallied to show their support for their work colleagues in Maitland outlining that the community will not benefit from the hospital privatisation and further concerns about job security and the importance of nurse-to-patient ratios.
"They believe just like everybody else in the community down in Maitland that Maitland deserves a public hospital, so what they're doing today is they're showing their support for the community and also for their fellow workers".
This Sunday at Maitland Park another rally will be held - calling out for members of the community to get behind the message that Maitland is as deserving as any other NSW community for the right to a public hospital.
John Hunter Hospital health workers join in support to keep Maitland Hospital Public.. @HSUNSW @nswnma @ASMOFnsw #hunterworkers @unionsnsw pic.twitter.com/d7w1kaJkS7— Hunter Workers (@HunterUnions) November 21, 2017
