3 hours Ago By Damon Cronshaw
Nurses at the Calvary Mater Newcastle have gained the health minister's attention, after running a campaign to be treated equally with John Hunter Hospital. Login or signup to continue reading The nurses are fighting for their hospital to be part of the NSW government's "safe staffing" program. The Mater branch for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association ran a NSW Parliament e-petition on the matter, attracting 1118 signatures.
It urged the Minns government to name the hospital on its safe staffing schedule. In his response to the e-petition, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park acknowledged the branch's concerns. "I can advise that the matters raised in the petition are currently being considered," Mr Park wrote.
"The Ministry of Health will further liaise with the association and Calvary Mater Newcastle on this issue." The discussions involve the government considering the full-time equivalent staff needed at the Mater. "Once they know what that looks like, they'll make their decision.
I'm hoping we can get this win," said Camilla Smith, the union's Mater branch secretary. "It's all well and good they've said they'll think about it and discuss it. It looks positive, but until we see the Calvary on the list for funding it still kind of means nothing.
"It's a move in the right direction, but at what rate is it moving forward?" Ms Smith added that "we're all a bit despondent to be honest". "We will get there, they're just making us fight a lot harder for what we want. "There's only a certain amount of money, but the system is falling apart.
" NSW Premier Chris Minns said this month that the government had to make a choice between safe staffing ratios and nurses' pay. But Ms Smith said "it shouldn't be pay or conditions". "For us to have a future in quality nursing, it should be both.
That's what we're fighting for right now." Mater branch vice president Dee Spoljaric said Mr Minns had praised nurses as "heroes" during the pandemic. She said members were "happy the minister will be liaising with the union and hospital".
But nurses and midwives were concerned with "the government's rhetoric about trading off higher pay claims for staff ratios". "We are deeply concerned the government doesn't value a safe healthcare system, let alone nurses and midwives for the invaluable work we do every day," Mrs Spoljaric said. "All our member nurses ever wanted was fair and equal treatment.
" Mrs Spoljaric said they wanted to be treated the same as level five and six emergency departments [EDs] in public hospitals. The government had announced 16 EDs to get safe staffing ratios, including John Hunter. It stated this month that the program was under way, with more than 100 nurses having started work and $1 billion allocated to the program.
Calvary Mater Newcastle has a level five ED and provides services that include toxicology, cancer treatment and mental health. A not-for-profit Catholic healthcare organisation manages the Mater, but it is publicly-funded through the Hunter health district and sees public patients. In August, Mr Park said the Safe Staffing Levels Taskforce was "prioritising level five and six EDs in our public hospitals".
But discussions were occurring about how "recognised affiliated health organisations such as Calvary Mater Newcastle" would be treated. Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition. Health and medicine, science, research, nutrition.
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