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July 6, 2022
  • THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION
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Editorial

A victory for aged care  

June 1, 2022 by Madeline Lucre Leave a Comment

The election of a federal Labor government with a coherent plan to fix aged care is a win for the ages for our members in the sector.

 We should not underestimate the significance of the moment: this is a historic achievement for our union.

And hats off to our activists in aged care! They have shown perseverance, resilience, patience and courage on a very long journey to this summit.

Their decade (and more!) of fighting for the rights of our elderly has finally paid off.

Credit must be given to the federal Labor Party for listening to the people working at the frontline of what had been an increasingly dysfunctional sector.

The Albanese government has taken on board the solutions put forward by the ANMF and NSWNMA and committed to funding mandated staffing ratios in private aged care facilities, improving wages for the workforce and making sure taxpayer-funds for providers are tied to direct care for residents.

There are many lessons to be absorbed from this momentous election.

A clear one is that the issues that impact women the greatest have to be recognised and acted on by our governments.

The success of the “teal” women candidates around issues of climate change, integrity and gender equality was striking and Scott Morrison’s tin ear towards numerous high profile incidents of sexual violence was a vote changer for many.

But at a more subterranean level there were also cost of living issues that disproportionately impact on working class women: rising prices, low wages and prohibitively expensive child care.

These are issues that our members are only too familiar with working in predominantly female professions that are undervalued and routinely dismissed by politicians of all hues.

There are also lessons to be learnt and applied in our campaign for ratios in the public health system.

The first lesson is that we can win.  But we need the same grit, determination and stamina that our aged care members have shown. We need to be engaged. We need to stay the course.

The second lesson is that we should have confidence in what we are asking for. Federal Labor didn’t adopt our aged care solutions in an act of altruism. They adopted our solutions because they are the right policies to fix what is a completely broken sector. Aged care is mainly funded by taxpayers’ money and that money should be spent on care.

The third lesson is, like it or not, we have to engage in the political process. We need to convince governments, no matter who they are, that as frontline workers we understand the problems in the public health system and we are central to the solution.

The main argument we are confronted with when dealing with either the Liberals or Labor is the cost of our solutions, especially ratios. They always say they cost too much and they can’t afford it.

The pandemic blew away that specious argument. The cost of not resourcing health properly cost the economy billions of dollars.

Even prior to COVID there was a wealth of empirical research that showed that resourcing health properly was a cost saver.

When Queensland implemented ratios the government commissioned research to track their cost to the Queensland budget. That research showed a cost saving of $80 million in their first year of operation. More importantly 145 lives were saved and nearly 30,000 hospital days were avoided.

This research was consistent with numerous other studies around the world.

It would be a mistake for any government to think that COVID is a one-off. The prospect of future pandemics is real, even inevitable. There are health consequences from climate change that will also increase the demand on public health.

In NSW we will have an election early next year. Before then we need to convince all politicians that we have solutions to the crisis in public health in this state and they need to listen to us.

Implementing ratios will undoubtedly be better for the health of the NSW community but they will also be better for the state’s economy.

For the health of the country, things must change

April 7, 2022 by Madeline Lucre 1 Comment

In the last three years, Australia has been devastated by emergencies that have had an incalculable impact on the country.

Bushfires of breathtaking scale and intensity, unprecedented floods, and the worst public health emergency in a century have exacted an enormous toll on our communities.

Nurses and midwives have been called to action like never before, to care for the victims of these catastrophes and to protect the community at large.

Your efforts have been heroic; even more so considering the glaring deficiencies in the public health and aged care sectors that we have been bringing to the attention of governments for more than a decade.

COVID, in particular, has exposed how these sectors have been run down over a long period and starved of resources – especially staff – by a succession of negligent governments.

Over the last three years, while your efforts have been stellar and rightly appreciated by the community, the opposite has to be said of the governments responsible for public health and aged care.

Three sickening images come to mind that encapsulate the lack of leadership, seriousness and sense of responsibility that was needed to govern the country through these difficult times.

First, Prime Minister Scott Morrison relaxing in a Hawaiian shirt during an overseas holiday while the country was literally in flames. Second, aged care minister Richard Colbeck enjoying himself at a cricket test instead of fronting up to a COVID-19 senate committee that was grappling with the implosion of the aged care sector under the weight of the pandemic. And third, Premier Dominic Perrottet swilling beer in a pub as part of a PR stunt to announce the lifting of restrictions in NSW – just as Omicron was about to surge.

Infrastructure left to rot

These images are symbolic of something more profound and unsettling. Australia’s infrastructure has been left to rot, including in health and aged care, and our political incumbents seem incapable of grasping this fact let alone providing a vision to fix it.

This federal election is an opportunity for accountability and a fresh start.

We need a government with the vision and political will to build a robust, well-resourced public health system that will be able to provide safety for Australians in the face of health threats, which we have to acknowledge are likely to keep coming.

We also need an aged care system that puts the needs of the elderly first.

Now with a major commitment from a major political party to mandate the ratios we need in aged care to keep our residents safe, I feel hopeful that this neglected sector will receive the reform it desperately needs.

The experiences of the last three years show that the economy suffers too – and enormously – when there is no preparation for health or climate emergencies and when our health system is overwhelmed.

As nurses and midwives we can make a big difference. As professionals at the frontline we have a voice on health and aged care that is deeply respected by the public.

From now to the election, I would urge you to get involved and engage with your friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues about what is happening to our health and aged care systems.

AGED CARE

This federal election is an opportunity to fix the fundamental weaknesses in the aged care sector. All NSWNMA members can play a role as we pressure all political parties to address the issues we have been campaigning on for more than a decade.

What has come to light over the last two COVID-filled years about the state of aged care has been terrifying.

Even before COVID, the aged care sector was in a profound crisis. The consequences of that neglect have been tragic and deadly.

Since the pandemic arrived on our shores, over 15,000 aged care residents have caught the virus and more than 1700 of them have died from COVID. Over 18,000 staff have been infected.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was clear about the fundamental weaknesses of the system, which left residents and staff exposed.

“Quality and safety cannot be achieved without the sector having enough staff with the skills and time to care,” it said in its final report.

It recommended that every residential facility should have at least one registered nurse on site 24 hours a day.

This effectively endorsed the NSWNMA’s stand on the issue prosecuted over more than a decade.

Fighting for the rights of our patients 

April 7, 2022 by Madeline Lucre Leave a Comment

This historic strike throughout the state showcased our unity and strength but it also revealed the breadth of support we have in the community and in the media.

 February 15, 2022 will go down as a significant day in the history of our union.

Nurses and midwives took part in 48 demonstrations across NSW during our first statewide nurses and midwives’ strike since 2013. About 150 hospital and community health branches took strike action.

There was much to savour from the day not least the determination of nurses and midwives to stand up for our patients, our public health service and our profession.

Your passion, creativity and strength came through in spades and it was inspiring.

It was also a warning shot to a NSW government that has hardly covered itself in glory as COVID has wreaked havoc on an unprepared and vulnerable public health system, for which it is responsible.

What the day also made clear is that the government is misinformed and isolated from the real world that nurses and midwives experience in our public health system. They either do not listen to the frank and fearless advice of their public servant leaders or they all fear the consequences of accountability and transparency that shift-by-shift nurse and midwife ratios would deliver.

We have highlighted time and time again, going back many, many years, the staffing shortfalls, the lack of resources and the vulnerability and fragility of the system that puts patients lives at risk.

What February 15 revealed with absolute clarity is that the community and the media understand what we have been saying, COVID having exposed the weaknesses in the system and the government patently incapable of rising to the challenge posed by the pandemic.

The NSW Minister of Health continues to trot out the same tired old lines about the disproportionate share of the state budget taken by health and the burden shouldered by taxpayers.

He should reflect, as should the Premier and the NSW Treasury on the economic carnage caused by a pandemic for which we were unprepared and how the public was left vulnerable by a public health system that has been neglected and allowed to run down.

They should also reflect on the fact that other states like Queensland and Victoria have listened to the economic science as well as the health science that has empirically shown that ratios not only improve care but they are also cost effective.

COVID has shown that the economic costs of doing nothing are massive compared to the costs of doing the right thing.

We are going to keep fighting for ratios because we have no choice. It is our professional responsibility. And I am 100 per cent certain you are up for this fight.

Let’s make the federal election a referendum on aged care

Along with this issue of The Lamp you will find a supplement on the federal election which is expected to be held in May.

This election will be a decisive moment for aged care. It goes without saying that things 
must change.

The terrifying stories that have flowed out of the sector over the two-plus years of COVID have 
been heart-rending.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care didn’t mince its words when it delivered both its interim and final report on the state of the sector.

The interim report was titled: “Aged Care in Australia – A Shocking Tale of Neglect. The final report: Care, Dignity, Respect.

The commission identified staffing as the key issue if the problems of the sector were to be resolved. It agreed with us that ratios were central to the solution.

We want this federal election to be a referendum on aged care. We want to see accountability and a fresh start for the sector. Our older citizens deserve no less.

Patients, nurses and midwives deserve better 

February 3, 2022 by Madeline Lucre Leave a Comment

The first responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens from harm. By this measure, the federal and NSW governments have failed badly.

At every moment in the COVID crisis the federal and NSW governments have been behind the game and slow to listen to and act upon health advice.

The vaccine “strollout”’ and the rolling calamities in aged care were particularly inexcusable.

But with the arrival of the Omicron variant, things have gone from bad to worse, with both governments abandoning the health advice that successfully underpinned Australia’s pandemic response for the first 18 months.

Independent experts have been brutal in their assessment of the federal and NSW governments’ response to Omicron.

The respected multidisciplinary group OzSAGE has described their strategy as a “shambolic mess … that will condemn many people to death”, especially among the vulnerable.

“The only example Australia is providing to the world now is a warning about what not to do with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Kerryn Phelps, a former president of the AMA and an OzSAGE member.

In aged care the federal govern-ment’s hands-off approach has had “heartbreaking consequences”, say experts.

Even Scott Morrison’s and Dominic Perrotet’s economic arguments for “letting it rip” have been skewered by experts.

“Letting people that are at high risk of having or spreading the infection return to work quickly helps the labour supply this week, and harms the labour supply in the coming weeks when it spreads. This is the definition of short-termism (and) we now have a COVID-induced labour supply problem,” said Richard Deniss, chief economist at the Australia Institute.

Nurses speak out

Many nurses have shown remarkable courage to speak out about what is happening in our public hospitals and our aged care system.

Since the start of the year, at least 40 members have spoken to the media. This has led to hundreds and hundreds of stories on radio, online, TV and in newspapers making sure all our communities know what nurses are going through right now and the impact that has on patient care.

I know the situation in hospitals and aged care facilities is incredibly tough and I’ve heard from members how exhausted, frustrated and angry they are feeling.

Nurses are absolutely right to be furious with the NSW and federal governments. Their actions and inactions have led us to this crisis. Their persistence in saying the system is coping reveals a complete disregard for the truth.

It is outrageous that NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet continues to spin the lie that our public healthcare system is ‘strong’. He repeats this lie while you are exhausted, working excessive overtime and are short-staffed. Patient care is suffering.

It is unforgivable that aged care nurses are struggling to have access to appropriate PPE with many not even fit tested. It is outrageous that the Morrison government asks people to rely on RATs, knowing ordinary working families can’t get access to them. It is diabolical that RATs are not available in nursing homes while many aged care residents still await their booster.

We need to challenge the dishonest government narrative that our hospitals are “coping”. It is only nurses’ commitment and goodwill holding our public health and aged care systems together and it will be our collective actions that can bring change.

I encourage all of you to get active, speak out and share your stories and experiences.

The public needs to know the truth about the dire state of our health system and the threat this poses to our patients.

 

Time to tell the truth: We aren’t coping

January 14, 2022 by Cameron Ritchie 8 Comments

I know the situation in hospitals and aged care facilities is incredibly tough and I’ve heard from members how frustrated and angry you’re feeling right now.

We are absolutely right to be furious with the NSW and Federal governments. Their actions and inactions have led us to this. Their persistence in saying the system is coping reveals a complete disregard for the truth. 

It is outrageous that NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet continues to spin the lie that our public healthcare system is ‘strong’. He repeats this lie while you are exhausted, working excessive overtime and still remain short-staffed. Patient care is suffering.

It is unforgivable that aged care nurses are struggling to have access to appropriate PPE with many not even fit tested. It is outrageous that the Morrison government asks people to rely on RATs, knowing ordinary working families can’t get access to them. Diabolical that RATs are not available in nursing homes while many aged care residents still await their booster.

The NSWNMA will never stop advocating strongly on your behalf and fighting for improved working conditions across the public, private and aged care systems. Officers, Organisers and Branch officials are continuing to provide support to members concerned about sick leave, COVID isolation requirements, NSW Health directives.

Within January 2022 alone the NSWNMA has been supporting

  • An average of 110 members per day with COVID-19 issues
  • 80% of all member inquries have been related to COVID-19

Key issues raised with the NSWNMA

  • Transmission in the workplace/workers compensation
  • Leave entitlements
  • Members being directed or pressured to return to work while symptomatic
  • PPE advice & Fit-testing and infection control
  • Workloads and Staffing levels
  • Isolation requirements
  • Redeployment
  • Advice on government support payments
  • Successful advocacy around workers’ compensation where a rapid antigen test is now sufficient to lodge a claim, instead of having to rely on a PCR test

I know you are angry, frustrated, fed up, and eager for change. We support the call that many are making for collective action. As your union we are continuing to fight for our members and provide support. I encourage all of you to get active, speak out, share your stories with us. Speak with your branch representatives or NSWNMA organisers to discuss the next steps.

While our health care systems may not be strong right now, nurses and midwives are strong. It is our goodwill holding these systems together and it will be our collective actions that can bring change.

More than ever before nurses and midwives are saying ‘Enough is Enough’ and they’re speaking out.

Since the start of the year, at least 40 members have spoken to media, either speaking on behalf of their branch or anonymously. This has led to hundreds and hundreds of stories on radio, online, TV and in newspapers making sure all our communities know what you are going through right now.

We will continue to ensure nurses and midwives can publicly speak the truth. But it is clear that stating the facts are not enough when we have state and federal governments continuing to deceive. The NSW government is the only one who can fix these problems. We will not forget this, and we will hold them to account.

Information is changing rapidly, and we are updating members through email and social media.

Please remember, if you need support your union is here for you. Do not hesitate to contact us.

In unity,
Shaye Candish
Acting General Secretary
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association

Congratulations for your amazing contribution

December 2, 2021 by Madeline Lucre Leave a Comment

Summer is always a time of optimism and positivity and as we slip into the holiday season the NSW community should, and I think does, appreciate the enormous contribution of the state’s health workforce in getting us through the biggest health emergency in 100 years.

People in NSW will be able to enjoy with their families the best this state has to offer more safely than we were looking at not so long ago. I truly hope as many of our members as possible are able to experience  some of the holiday experience.

The contribution of nurses and midwives in getting us to this enviable point has been spectacular and I couldn’t be more proud of you.

Of course this has come at some cost when nurses and midwives have barely had a break in two years. Everyone is tired.

While I’m sure the community appreciates your sacrifices, commitment and hard work I’m not sure I can say the same about our governments.

While they regularly sing the praises of nurses and midwives publicly their actions tell another, quite different story.

When it comes to talking about improving pay for nurses and midwives their petty meanness is apparent.

When it comes to talking about ratios and improved staffing, they wilfully refuse to acknowledge the reality of our under-resourced public health system.

In this issue of The Lamp we report on the Perrotet government’s attempt to strip nurses and midwives and other essential workers of their right to automatic cover for COVID-19 (see p. 18).

This would mean nurses and midwives would have to prove they were infected on the job and not in the community – a burden of proof that would be almost impossible to achieve.

This measure literally heaps insult upon injury. It is cruel and unwarranted.

These things together do raise important questions.

Is our state government capable of learning the lessons of COVID?

Do they have the vision and the will required to build a robust, well-resourced public health system that will be able to provide safety for the NSW community against the health threats that experts tell us are inevitable.

More pandemics, superbugs and the consequences of climate change can no longer be dismissed as something that will happen down the track.

These threats exist now.

Delayed demand for normal health services will also put immediate pressure on our system as COVID, hopefully, abates.

A pressing priority must be the resilience of the health workforce.

The Australian College of Critical Care Nurses say critical care nurses are “leaving in droves”. We continue to press the NSW Minister for Health to recognise the problem and to act to establish professional standard staffing levels.

There is a growing body of research that shows that the pandemic has exacted a heavy emotional toll on nurses and midwives. Levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), burnout, depression and anxiety among the health workforce have ballooned during COVID.

The research shows, and we also know it from our own experiences, that much of that mental trauma comes from a heartfelt concern that our patients would not get the care they need and deserve because of a shortage of staff and resources and the vulnerability this engenders during a lethal pandemic.

The Association has been saying it for more than a decade but it is important to keep saying it: our public health system has been seriously under resourced and understaffed. COVID has just exposed that weakness and made it worse.

The state government with its responsibility for the public health system and the federal government with its responsibility for aged care just keep putting their heads in the sand and hope their political spin will make these problems go away.

That is at once laughable and irresponsible.

The Association takes the responsibility of improving the public health system seriously. We have tirelessly advocated for ratios as an important pillar of any robust public health system. That position has been backed by irrefutable research.

The problems aren’t going away and neither are we.

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