More than 100 nurses from Bathurst, Lithgow and Cowra hospitals rallied in Bathurst outside the office of local MP and Deputy Premier, Paul Toole.

It was the biggest local nurse rally in memory, said Bathurst Hospital’s NSWNMA branch secretary, James Adams.

The strike was the lead item on WIN News and Prime TV channels that night, and was prominent in local newspaper the Western Advocate.

Prime 7 News Central West featured statements from four nurses who were out on strike.

“Members are at the point where they want to have their voices heard; on strike day they were jumping in front of the TV cameras to have their say,” James said.

“People stayed strong, despite the order from the Industrial Relations Commission. They’ve had enough basically.”

He said the strike was preceded by the branch’s biggest ever meeting, where members voted overwhelmingly to hold a four-hour strike and rally.

“There has been a much higher level of engagement in branch activity by members since December and particularly since we decided to take the action.

“We lost 17 nurses from ED alone in the last 12 months; that’s a huge turnover. At least half have gone to other facilities or services where they feel more supported. The rest have retired or quit the profession.

“The staffing situation is getting worse and nurses are still leaving because they can’t cope with the impossible conditions.

“They see the union is fighting for them but they’re at the point where they can’t go on any longer.”