Rank-and-file nurses and midwives told some inconvenient truths about our hospitals when addressing the crowd outside state parliament.

 On the eve of the statewide nurses and midwives’ strike, an ex-nurse challenged NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet with some home truths.

“You keep saying NSW has a strong healthcare system,” she said.

She told him she had quit the profession after experiencing “constant” staff shortages and worker stress that left her feeling “broken”.

She said the health system was weak and needed “a plan going forward – what is that plan?” the Canberra Times reported.

Perrottet trotted out a familiar line – and promised more of the same.

“Our frontline workers are the heroes of the pandemic and I thank them for everything they do,” he said.

“They have worked tirelessly for two long years and it’s likely that will need to continue.”

Outside parliament house on strike day, several of those “frontline heroes” took to the speakers’ platform to deliver more inconvenient facts about our health system.