October 9, 2024

nsw liberals

NSW government’s new laws an attack on basic human rights

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Last year, the NSW government passed laws to prohibit and criminalise the right to peacefully protest.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) stands in solidarity with the trade union and civil society movement in condemning these laws.

Under the legislation introduced on 1 April 2022, protestors who demonstrate and disrupt major public roads or facilities can be fined up to $22,000 and be jailed for up to two years.

The right to protest is instrumental to Australia’s democracy and is responsible for significant societal improvements, including women’s right to vote, the 8-hour workday and marriage equality, to name a few.

Harsh penalties and legal actions have already been imposed on climate protestors in NSW under the anti-protest laws, restricting their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly – this is an unacceptable violation of their basic rights to peaceful protest.

The biggest issue of the 21st century is climate change. We are committed to action on climate because of its wide-ranging health implications.

This is why we are supporting the call to stop Santos from opening coal seam gas mining in Narrabri and the Liverpool Plains, against the wishes of the Gomeroi traditional owners and many of the farmers in the region.

The right to protest as a collective is essential in countering the influence of the fossil fuel industry. The people of NSW deserve leadership on the climate crisis, not an ideological attempt to silence us when we speak up for the health of our land, water and communities.

The NSW government is attempting to silence its political opponents and advance its conservative agenda.

In the firing line

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Coronavirus test clinics bear the brunt of public anger over long wait to be screened

People are frustrated, angry and sometimes abusive. They say, ‘We’ve been waiting in this f…ing line for two hours only to be told we’re not going to get tested.’”

That’s how a nurse summed up the public mood at a Sydney COVID-19 screening clinic, where a long line of worried people, many wearing masks, waited their turn to be seen.

When the clinic opened in mid-March only about 50 people presented each day.

Within a week the numbers had multiplied, and a permanent queue stretched along the street.

“The numbers are soaring every day,” the nurse said.

“We have four nurses, two doctors, three clerks and a NUM, all working together and keeping each other sane.

“But we need more doctors and nurses to run it efficiently and reduce the public anger.

“It’s very stressful when someone gets to the desk and starts abusing us when we tell them they don’t meet the testing criteria.”

More than a week after opening, additional staff were provided and “things are running more smoothly,” he said.

At the time of publication, testing was restricted to people with symptoms who had been in contact with confirmed cases or those with symptoms who had returned from overseas in the previous 14 days.

Also tested are healthcare workers who have to be swabbed even if they have only mild symptoms and meet none of the other criteria.

Test results usually are available 24 hours later for health workers and 72 hours for the general public.

Bring forward the 5000 nurses promised

At the testing clinic, patients are asked to describe their symptoms. If they meet the testing criteria, they fill out forms and join another queue to have their vital signs – respiratory rate, oxygen saturation level, blood pressure, temperature and heart rate – taken by a nurse or doctor.  That’s followed by another wait to be swabbed by a nurse.

At first, only a small proportion met the testing criteria. A week later, more than half needed to be tested.

“We think a lot of people are falsifying their symptoms to meet the testing criteria,” the nurse said.

“They hear people in front of them arguing with our staff and figure out what the testing criteria are. Then they change their story to meet the criteria.

“Also, GP clinics are inappropriately turning away people with chest infections and other issues and then they come to us. That adds to the aggression when we tell them they don’t meet the criteria.”

Coronavirus testing clinics were established to take the pressure off emergency departments, which were under unprecedented strain even before the pandemic.

NSW EDs had a record number of presentations between October and December last year.The NSWNMA has urged the state government to bring forward its promised recruitment of 5,000 more nurses and midwives to help deal with the spread of COVID-19 and increased pressures on EDs.

“Nurses and midwives were already facing burn-out and fatigue after a difficult winter, but they pushed on through summer and the devastating bushfire season, only to be confronted with the pandemic,” said NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes.

“We implore the NSW government to acknowledge its own hospital data. Yet again, it shows just how much nurses are battling on, feeling under-resourced, unsupported and under mounting pressure.

“We appreciate the government’s broader public health response towards tackling COVID-19 but we have not seen enough towards boosting frontline nursing staff numbers.”

More information

The NSWNMA is providing advice and support to any member seeking information regarding COVID-19.

For the latest COVID-19 updates and guidelines available for your sector go to www.thelamp.com.au.

Hospitals – put people before profit  

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The Liberal–National Coalition and Labor approach the 23 March election with public hospital policies as different as night and day.

The Liberal-National Coalition claims its “partnerships” with private operators will deliver a more “efficient” health system.

It tried to sell five NSW public hospitals – Wyong, Goulburn, Shellharbour, Bowral and Maitland – but fierce public opposition forced it to backtrack.

In northern Sydney, residents lost two public hospitals – Manly and Mona Vale – in return for the Healthscope-operated Northern Beaches Hospital.

As the media widely reported, its opening weeks were a shambles.

NSWNMA members have campaigned strongly against privatisation in their communities. They have made it clear they did not want their local public hospital turned into a profit-making operation.

Labor and the NSW Greens strongly oppose hospital privatisation.

Labor leader Michael Daley has promised: “Under Labor, the sell-offs will stop. There will be 
no privatisation of NSW hospitals, water, electricity or public 
transport services.”

Since elected in 2011 the Liberal–National government has sold off electricity services, bus services, ports, housing, land and property information, recreation facilities, museums and court operations – to name a few.

In health care, privatisation has even extended to residential disability services and palliative care. Ignoring the pleas of staff and families the government flogged off services provided to some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

On the Northern Beaches fiasco, NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes wrote:

“The privatisation of the Northern Beaches Hospital was undertaken without any serious public debate. The tendering process was shrouded in secrecy. The public was lied to about what it would cost. Now the hospital has opened in a state of chaos due to completely inadequate planning and preparation.

“This is largely due to a failure to engage with staff and a management that lacks experience in running public hospitals. It was arrogant to think that private corporations would do a better job of running a public hospital.

“The government responsible for this debacle deserves to be made accountable.”

The Liberal-National Coalition tried to sell five regional NSW public hospitals but fierce opposition by nurses, midwives and their local communities forced it to backtrack.

Where the parties stand on PRIVATISATION

 NSW GREENS

  • Oppose Public–Private Partnerships in provision of public hospital services.
  • Support keeping all current and future public hospital developments and land in public ownership.

 NSW LABOR

Labor leader Michael Daley says: “Under Labor, the sell-offs will stop. There will be no privatisation of NSW hospitals, water, electricity or public transport services.”

LIBERAL-NATIONAL COALITION

Privatised the Northern Beaches Hospital and tried to sell six regional public hospitals.

Why we oppose the Liberal–National Coalition’s hospital privatisation

  • Private operators have a duty to reward their shareholders by making a profit on their investment.
  • They can only do that through cuts to staffing and resources.
  • Privatisation of public health care has never delivered better services.
  • Privatisation will starve our public hospitals when nurses and the public want to see them grow.

Hazzard grilled on staffing ratios 

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Questions to minister reveal nurses’ deep concerns over staff shortfalls.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he has told his ministry to “take a more active role” in ensuring that NSW public health facilities are staffed in an “open and honest way.”

Addressing the NSWNMA annual Conference, Mr Hazzard said LHDs had been making spot checks on hospital staffing numbers in recent weeks.

He said it was “extremely challenging” to try to make sure that every local health district, hospital and multipurpose service followed required policies, awards and industrial agreements.

In 2017, the NSWNMA obtained hospital data that revealed systematic understaffing at levels below the nursing hours per patient day (NHPPD) requirements of the public health award.

As Assistant Secretary Judith Kiejda put it, patients were “blatantly rorted” of more than 40,000 hours of care they were legally entitled to.

At the conference, Mr Hazzard answered questions from union delegates including Wing Besilos from Westmead Hospital branch.

She said management’s manipulation of NHPPD numbers showed the need for a better system of shift-by-shift ratios.

“At the moment nurses don’t have the time to sit and hold their patients’ hands. We don’t have time for the number of patients we have. You mentioned budgets. Maybe you can look at the organisational structures of each LHD and trim them down and put that money into bedside nursing,” she said.

Mr Hazzard replied: “I get frustrated quite regularly about the fact that the 15 LHDs often have different policies, which I’m trying to bring into a more coordinated approach.”

“We’ve been doing a lot of work on that since I became minister, telling them, ‘You’re not totally independent here, guys; you have to be accountable, you have to follow state policies and make sure that issues like staffing are done in an appropriate and transparent way.’”

He said he met regularly with the chair of the board of each LHD and LHD managements.

“I can’t tell you the number of times I have expressed concerns about making sure that there is transparency and integrity about delivering on award conditions for nurses and staff more broadly.”

Most delegates’ questions centred on the government’s refusal to agree to introduce mandatory shift-by-shift ratios.

Mr Hazzard said the government already spent a record amount on health care, which accounted for almost one third of the entire state budget.

He said he met regularly with NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes and Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda.

“Brett and Judith have been extremely strong representing the Association’s views and haven’t taken a backward step in letting the minister know what your views are. I appreciate that.”

Brett Holmes thanked Mr Hazzard for “taking a very different approach to your predecessor to having discussions. We do look forward to continuing to have discussions.”

The government’s position on increased staffing

  • Promised 950 extra nurses in the budget
  • For eight years have refused to discuss any improvements in ratios
  • Have ruled out ratios in EDs

Letters to the Editor
Share your thoughts on this article or anything else important to you as nurses and midwives by sending a Letter to the Editor.

Four letters are published in the Lamp each month and the letter chosen as Letter of the Month will win a gift card. Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. You can submit your letter by emailing the Lamp: lamp@nswnma.asn.au

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