The Health Minister thinks emergency departments have enough staff. Nurses at Belmont Hospital beg to differ.

In August, Health Minister Brad Hazzard criticised the Labor Opposition’s promise to introduce 1:3 nurse to patient ratios in emergency departments.

“Emergency departments do not need them; they are already staffed appropriately,” Mr Hazzard told parliament.

He should try telling that to ED nurses at Belmont Hospital near Newcastle.

Belmont ED has had no staff increase since 2012 even though patient numbers and acuity have since risen. One nurse may have to care for up to seven patients, two of whom may be in resuscitation beds.

The hospital’s NSWNMA branch took the ED staffing issue to the Reasonable Workloads Committee in October 2017.

After months of argument, the Hunter New England Local Health District last month offered to roster an additional nurse on morning shift seven days a week and an additional nurse on night shift four days a week.

The branch voted to reject the offer and called for all seven nights to be covered by an extra shift.

Branch delegate and vice president Rachel Howell said the department was often too understaffed to do required hourly observations.

“We are so stretched we can’t always deliver safe care and we fear that something is going to happen to a patient,” she said.

“The department is funded for 12 beds but we often flex up to 17 treatment spaces including offload beds, plaster room and procedure room, with no increase in staffing.

“On night shift, if we get one patient in resuscitation that leaves only one nurse on the floor to look after the other 11 beds including another resus bed.

“We often have to call on the nurse managers and nurse educators to assist in ED and even the Director and Deputy Director of Nursing sometimes have to help out by doing observations or taking patients to the ward.”

Sick leave on the rise

Rachel says nurses are under a lot of stress and sick leave is on the rise. As a result, some have sought employment elsewhere and most senior staff have reduced their hours.

“Morale has taken a real hit. People don’t want to come in to do extra shifts because they know what they are in for.”

Branch assistant secretary Fiona Mitchell wrote to the MP for Swansea, Yasmin Catley, inviting her to meet members to discuss staffing.

Fiona said other EDs in the area had safer and more manageable workloads of one nurse to three or four beds, plus additional staffing for their resuscitation bays.

“Why should patients attending John Hunter Hospital, Calvary Mater, Maitland, Wyong or Gosford receive more nursing hours for their care than those patients attending Belmont ED?” she asked.

“As a level three ED under our current award Belmont has no guarantees for additional staffing of our resuscitation beds until presentations reach 45,000 per year (currently 26,000).”

Belmont nurses are wearing NSWNMA t-shirts and badges calling for “1:3 in ED” and are considering a public campaign to inform and mobilise the community.