Nurses stop bed closures as government makes offer

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 13 2011

Nurses who were closing down beds over staffing issues have stopped but have not ruled out the possibility of more bed closures in the future. Beds at the Tamworth Base Hospital that were closed before Christmas re-opened yesterday (Thursday). A total 570 beds were reopened. The New South Wales Nurses Association is considering an offer by the State Government. The protest was in favour of a standard minimum ratio of one nurse for every four patients.

According to a Tamworth Delegate, Roz Norman, the bed closures will resume if the offer is not god enough. “That offer when it’s formulated will be taken to a council meeting on Monday night…Then after that meeting the council will forward that offer then to the delegates on Tuesday and it will be up to the delegates then to decide whether the offer is what they want and what action they will take as a result of that,” she said.

Throughout this action she said the managers at Tamworth Base Hospital have been patient and understanding. “The managers realize that ratios will make their own job much easier as time goes on… But, at this particular point with our hospitals being so full and needing to cancel some surgery, probably managers are relieved that they have those beds that they can use,” she added.

Acting general secretary of the nurses’ union, Judith Kiejda also said, “We were notified in the commission (on Wednesday) that there is an offer ready to be put but we had to lift our action before that occurred.” The union will hold a committee of delegates meeting next Tuesday to consider the offer and further action. Ms Kiejda echoed Ms Norman as she said, “Quite frankly I think the offer is going to have to be pretty good for our members to accept.” The one nurse to four patient’s ratio is based on research and patient safety and cannot be negotiated, she added.

Greens MP John Kaye welcomed the return to the negotiating table. Dr Kaye also called on the coalition to support the one-to-four ratio and to honour any agreements that are made between the existing government and the union.