Staff at the Bega hospital will walk off the job at midday on Wednesday for a mass meeting to address chronic staff shortages.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A recent union-led audit of staffing levels has found the following shortages:
- Health and security assistants are short three full-time staff and need a casual pool;
- Medical records are short a full-time administration officer;
- Medical imaging is short one radiographer and one sonographer. Also needs a casual pool and management will not approve a locum to fill gaps in the roster or to backfill staff on leave;
- Administration officers are short five full-time positions. The entire hospital has no ward clerks on weekends. There is no administrative support in paediatric, maternity, renal, day surgery and theatres;
- Pathology is short two technical assistants and one scientist. Technical assistants regularly have to travel to Cooma to perform work leaving Bega short of staff. Blood results are at times completed 24 hours later than expected, a recent example of this involved a leukaemia patient. Management refuse staff to work overtime to catch up on work;
- Physiotherapists require one new specialised physio for lymphedema patients;
- Cleaners have no leave relief and require a casual pool of four to five staff;
- Dieticians are short two full-time staff;
- Drug and alcohol require an additional full time staff member; and
- Mental health is short 2.27 full-time equivalent positions.
HSU NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said there was no point building a new hospital in Bega if the government failed to adequately staff it.
“The Baird government took great delight opening the new South East Regional Hospital in Bega and promised the residents of Bega improved healthcare services,” Mr Hayes said.
“Instead, the local community has been bitterly let down.
“The HSU has held numerous meetings to discuss staffing levels at the new hospital, but our concerns and those of the community have been ignored.
“Bega residents deserve better.
“They need a minister who will stand up for their needs and not hide behind the $57billion dollars cut to health by the federal government.”
Members of the Health Services Union will meet on Wednesday, September 14 at midday at the front of the SERH to demand more staff.
