BY DAKOTA TAIT
Nurses and midwives are joining their coworkers across the State for a strike on Tuesday, in a push for improved conditions, better nurse-to-patient ratios, and a pay rise.
23 branches of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association across the Hunter New England Health District are taking part in the action.
Maitland Branch Secretary Kathy Chapman says the Premier needs to listen to what's being said.
"We're calling on
him to actually open his eyes, and stop making out that everything's
okay in our hospitals," Ms Chapman said.
"We want one nurse to have a mandatory maximum to look after four patients, and in ED, we want our emergency nurses not to have to look after six or seven patients, but three."
The John Hunter Hospital's emergency department will run on minimal staffing for twelve hours, while the rest of the hospital will join Maitland, James Fletcher, Belmont, and Muswellbrook for a full 24 hours strike.
Staff at Lower Hunter Community Health and the Waratah Mental Health Centre will put down the tools for just eight-and-a-half hours.
Ms Chapman says the fight's not just for nurses.
"Midwives might look after six mothers who have just birthed, but also if they have one to two babies, they're looking after them as well, and they're not all born healthy," Ms Chapman said.
"We want him to open his eyes, we want one to four on the floor, one to three in ED, and we want babies to count."
A rally will be held at Civic Park in Newcastle at 10am this morning.
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| Image credit: HNE Health |
