Five workers assaulted in 24 hours, as Mater ED snubbed in safe staff plan

The Advertiser

10-05-2025

AFTER five assaults in 24 hours in the emergency department, which has left one nurse still off work, staff at Calvary Mater Newcastle have had enough.
In the same 24 hours this week, there were nine code blacks called in the ED, a desperate cry for security in response to a potentially dangerous situation.
Time and time again, staff apologise to patients stuck in the overcrowded waiting room. They are clearly sick or in pain. At this time of year, the number of patients waiting rarely decreases.
As burnt-out staff at the Mater stare down another peak winter season, they are demanding to know why the hospital has been overlooked in the NSW government's move to strengthen nurse-to-patient ratios across the state in public hospitals.
Camilla Smith, the Mater branch secretary for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, said staff were at a "tipping point".
"We're a publicly funded hospital, but we are staring down the barrel of being under-resourced in a way that is going to end up with very bad outcomes for our patients," she said.
"It makes no sense that the Mater won't have the same resources as every other hospital around us."
Phase one of the NSW government's safe staffing levels program is being introduced to level 5 and 6 emergency departments across the state, which treat the most critically ill patients, including the John Hunter Hospital.
But ten minutes down the road, Calvary Mater Newcastle, which has a level five ED and provides services that include toxicology, cancer treatment and mental health, has not been included in the rollout.
A not-for-profit Catholic healthcare organisation manages the Mater, but it sees public patients and is publicly funded through the Hunter Health District.
Patients accessing James Fletcher Hospital, a public mental health facility, must go through the Mater's ED.
The Mater's status as an affiliated health organisation has meant that it has been overlooked in the rollout of the government's commitment to employ an additional 2480 nurses across public hospitals over four years.
Ms Smith said the government "keeps finding loophole, after loophole" to exclude the Mater, even though the hospital must meet the same standards as public hospitals.
"So all the other hospitals are going to get better resources and we're getting less, but we have to do exactly the same amount of work and meet the same KPIs...," she said.
"They keep telling us we are on the agenda ... But we have been let down, because we have been on the agenda for well over 12 months and nothing has changed."
Under the new system, it's estimated the Mater would receive an additional 20 ED nurses.
This would ensure a one-to-one nursing care ratio for ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three ED treatment spaces and short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
The new staffing ratios will be progressively implemented across other key hospital areas throughout NSW in a phased approach, including level 3 and 4 EDs.
Health Minister Ryan Park said on Thursday that the taskforce, which includes leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, NSW Health, and local health districts, had prioritised Level 5 and 6 emergency departments in public hospitals.
"Discussions between NSW Health and Calvary Mater are ongoing on the rollout of safe staffing levels," he said.
"Since taking office, the NSW government has invested heavily in the health workforce, including major priorities identified by the union and workforce."
Calvary Mater Newcastle general manager Roz Everingham said the hospital continued advocating for inclusion in the program.
Ms Everingham said violent incidents, like what happened on Sunday, were not unusual at the Mater's ED, which provides care to a high-risk, vulnerable population.
"These increased nursing numbers would support the provision of care for patients, while also supporting our front line staff," she said.
"We are keen to receive formal notification from the Ministry of Health about our inclusion."
Tanya Bradbury, the Mater's operations manager of critical care services, said if the Mater continued to be overlooked, it would result in poor outcomes for the community.
"Why is our community going to receive different care, or our staff a different level of safety?" she asked.
"It makes no sense that there will be a different level of care for patients that present at Calvary Mater compared to a hospital that is 10 kilometres away."
Fed up with the understaffing leading to extreme cases of burnout, the nursing union's Ms Smith questioned why the Mater was "all of a sudden being treated differently".
"Our ED has the highest number of behavioural patients across all level 5 and 6 EDs in the area, and yet we are still here fighting to be included," she said.
"We are a hospital that is publicly funded. We have been absolutely isolated by the government and they have never done this before. When they were looking at nursing per patient hours, we were given those straight away. There was no argument. Yet, for these safe staffing levels, we're having to fight for it every step of the way."
The Mater's emergency department nursing unit manager, Andrew Adams, said staff were regularly overwhelmed by the lack of resources and just wanted to be treated fairly.
Mr Adams said the Mater was not asking for special treatment.
He said all staff wanted was what other similar-sized hospitals had been assessed as needing.
"We do get a lot of violence and aggression in the workplace," he said. "We need safer staffing ratios to ensure patient care and that our staff are safe."
Police confirmed an investigation was under way following an assault at the Mater on Sunday.
AFTER five assaults in 24 hours in the emergency department, which has left one nurse still off work, staff at Calvary Mater Newcastle have had enough.
In the same 24 hours this week, there were nine code blacks called in the ED, a desperate cry for security in response to a potentially dangerous situation.
Time and time again, staff apologise to patients stuck in the overcrowded waiting room. They are clearly sick or in pain. At this time of year, the number of patients waiting rarely decreases.
As burnt-out staff at the Mater stare down another peak winter season, they are demanding to know why the hospital has been overlooked in the NSW government's move to strengthen nurse-to-patient ratios across the state in public hospitals.
Camilla Smith, the Mater branch secretary for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, said staff were at a "tipping point".
"We're a publicly funded hospital, but we are staring down the barrel of being under-resourced in a way that is going to end up with very bad outcomes for our patients," she said.
"It makes no sense that the Mater won't have the same resources as every other hospital around us."
Phase one of the NSW government's safe staffing levels program is being introduced to level 5 and 6 emergency departments across the state, which treat the most critically ill patients, including the John Hunter Hospital.
But ten minutes down the road, Calvary Mater Newcastle, which has a level five ED and provides services that include toxicology, cancer treatment and mental health, has not been included in the rollout.
A not-for-profit Catholic healthcare organisation manages the Mater, but it sees public patients and is publicly funded through the Hunter Health District.
Patients accessing James Fletcher Hospital, a public mental health facility, must go through the Mater's ED.
The Mater's status as an affiliated health organisation has meant that it has been overlooked in the rollout of the government's commitment to employ an additional 2480 nurses across public hospitals over four years.
Ms Smith said the government "keeps finding loophole, after loophole" to exclude the Mater, even though the hospital must meet the same standards as public hospitals.
"So all the other hospitals are going to get better resources and we're getting less, but we have to do exactly the same amount of work and meet the same KPIs...," she said.
"They keep telling us we are on the agenda ... But we have been let down, because we have been on the agenda for well over 12 months and nothing has changed."
Under the new system, it's estimated the Mater would receive an additional 20 ED nurses.
This would ensure a one-to-one nursing care ratio for ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three ED treatment spaces and short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
The new staffing ratios will be progressively implemented across other key hospital areas throughout NSW in a phased approach, including level 3 and 4 EDs.
Health Minister Ryan Park said on Thursday that the taskforce, which includes leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, NSW Health, and local health districts, had prioritised Level 5 and 6 emergency departments in public hospitals.
"Discussions between NSW Health and Calvary Mater are ongoing on the rollout of safe staffing levels," he said.
"Since taking office, the NSW government has invested heavily in the health workforce, including major priorities identified by the union and workforce."
Calvary Mater Newcastle general manager Roz Everingham said the hospital continued advocating for inclusion in the program.
Ms Everingham said violent incidents, like what happened on Sunday, were not unusual at the Mater's ED, which provides care to a high-risk, vulnerable population.
"These increased nursing numbers would support the provision of care for patients, while also supporting our front line staff," she said.
"We are keen to receive formal notification from the Ministry of Health about our inclusion."
Tanya Bradbury, the Mater's operations manager of critical care services, said if the Mater continued to be overlooked, it would result in poor outcomes for the community.
"Why is our community going to receive different care, or our staff a different level of safety?" she asked.
"It makes no sense that there will be a different level of care for patients that present at Calvary Mater compared to a hospital that is 10 kilometres away."
Fed up with the understaffing leading to extreme cases of burnout, the nursing union's Ms Smith questioned why the Mater was "all of a sudden being treated differently".
"Our ED has the highest number of behavioural patients across all level 5 and 6 EDs in the area, and yet we are still here fighting to be included," she said.
"We are a hospital that is publicly funded. We have been absolutely isolated by the government and they have never done this before. When they were looking at nursing per patient hours, we were given those straight away. There was no argument. Yet, for these safe staffing levels, we're having to fight for it every step of the way."
The Mater's emergency department nursing unit manager, Andrew Adams, said staff were regularly overwhelmed by the lack of resources and just wanted to be treated fairly.
Mr Adams said the Mater was not asking for special treatment.
He said all staff wanted was what other similar-sized hospitals had been assessed as needing.
"We do get a lot of violence and aggression in the workplace," he said. "We need safer staffing ratios to ensure patient care and that our staff are safe."
Police confirmed an investigation was under way following an assault at the Mater on Sunday.
AFTER five assaults in 24 hours in the emergency department, which has left one nurse still off work, staff at Calvary Mater Newcastle have had enough.
In the same 24 hours this week, there were nine code blacks called in the ED, a desperate cry for security in response to a potentially dangerous situation.
Time and time again, staff apologise to patients stuck in the overcrowded waiting room. They are clearly sick or in pain. At this time of year, the number of patients waiting rarely decreases.
As burnt-out staff at the Mater stare down another peak winter season, they are demanding to know why the hospital has been overlooked in the NSW government's move to strengthen nurse-to-patient ratios across the state in public hospitals.
Camilla Smith, the Mater branch secretary for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, said staff were at a "tipping point".
"We're a publicly funded hospital, but we are staring down the barrel of being under-resourced in a way that is going to end up with very bad outcomes for our patients," she said.
"It makes no sense that the Mater won't have the same resources as every other hospital around us."
Phase one of the NSW government's safe staffing levels program is being introduced to level 5 and 6 emergency departments across the state, which treat the most critically ill patients, including the John Hunter Hospital.
But ten minutes down the road, Calvary Mater Newcastle, which has a level five ED and provides services that include toxicology, cancer treatment and mental health, has not been included in the rollout.
A not-for-profit Catholic healthcare organisation manages the Mater, but it sees public patients and is publicly funded through the Hunter Health District.
Patients accessing James Fletcher Hospital, a public mental health facility, must go through the Mater's ED.
The Mater's status as an affiliated health organisation has meant that it has been overlooked in the rollout of the government's commitment to employ an additional 2480 nurses across public hospitals over four years.
Ms Smith said the government "keeps finding loophole, after loophole" to exclude the Mater, even though the hospital must meet the same standards as public hospitals.
"So all the other hospitals are going to get better resources and we're getting less, but we have to do exactly the same amount of work and meet the same KPIs...," she said.
"They keep telling us we are on the agenda ... But we have been let down, because we have been on the agenda for well over 12 months and nothing has changed."
Under the new system, it's estimated the Mater would receive an additional 20 ED nurses.
This would ensure a one-to-one nursing care ratio for ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three ED treatment spaces and short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
The new staffing ratios will be progressively implemented across other key hospital areas throughout NSW in a phased approach, including level 3 and 4 EDs.
Health Minister Ryan Park said on Thursday that the taskforce, which includes leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, NSW Health, and local health districts, had prioritised Level 5 and 6 emergency departments in public hospitals.
"Discussions between NSW Health and Calvary Mater are ongoing on the rollout of safe staffing levels," he said.
"Since taking office, the NSW government has invested heavily in the health workforce, including major priorities identified by the union and workforce."
Calvary Mater Newcastle general manager Roz Everingham said the hospital continued advocating for inclusion in the program.
Ms Everingham said violent incidents, like what happened on Sunday, were not unusual at the Mater's ED, which provides care to a high-risk, vulnerable population.
"These increased nursing numbers would support the provision of care for patients, while also supporting our front line staff," she said.
"We are keen to receive formal notification from the Ministry of Health about our inclusion."
Tanya Bradbury, the Mater's operations manager of critical care services, said if the Mater continued to be overlooked, it would result in poor outcomes for the community.
"Why is our community going to receive different care, or our staff a different level of safety?" she asked.
"It makes no sense that there will be a different level of care for patients that present at Calvary Mater compared to a hospital that is 10 kilometres away."
Fed up with the understaffing leading to extreme cases of burnout, the nursing union's Ms Smith questioned why the Mater was "all of a sudden being treated differently".
"Our ED has the highest number of behavioural patients across all level 5 and 6 EDs in the area, and yet we are still here fighting to be included," she said.
"We are a hospital that is publicly funded. We have been absolutely isolated by the government and they have never done this before. When they were looking at nursing per patient hours, we were given those straight away. There was no argument. Yet, for these safe staffing levels, we're having to fight for it every step of the way."
The Mater's emergency department nursing unit manager, Andrew Adams, said staff were regularly overwhelmed by the lack of resources and just wanted to be treated fairly.
Mr Adams said the Mater was not asking for special treatment.
He said all staff wanted was what other similar-sized hospitals had been assessed as needing.
"We do get a lot of violence and aggression in the workplace," he said. "We need safer staffing ratios to ensure patient care and that our staff are safe."
Police confirmed an investigation was under way following an assault at the Mater on Sunday.
AFTER five assaults in 24 hours in the emergency department, which has left one nurse still off work, staff at Calvary Mater Newcastle have had enough.
In the same 24 hours this week, there were nine code blacks called in the ED, a desperate cry for security in response to a potentially dangerous situation.
Time and time again, staff apologise to patients stuck in the overcrowded waiting room. They are clearly sick or in pain. At this time of year, the number of patients waiting rarely decreases.
As burnt-out staff at the Mater stare down another peak winter season, they are demanding to know why the hospital has been overlooked in the NSW government's move to strengthen nurse-to-patient ratios across the state in public hospitals.
Camilla Smith, the Mater branch secretary for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, said staff were at a "tipping point".
"We're a publicly funded hospital, but we are staring down the barrel of being under-resourced in a way that is going to end up with very bad outcomes for our patients," she said.
"It makes no sense that the Mater won't have the same resources as every other hospital around us."
Phase one of the NSW government's safe staffing levels program is being introduced to level 5 and 6 emergency departments across the state, which treat the most critically ill patients, including the John Hunter Hospital.
But ten minutes down the road, Calvary Mater Newcastle, which has a level five ED and provides services that include toxicology, cancer treatment and mental health, has not been included in the rollout.
A not-for-profit Catholic healthcare organisation manages the Mater, but it sees public patients and is publicly funded through the Hunter Health District.
Patients accessing James Fletcher Hospital, a public mental health facility, must go through the Mater's ED.
The Mater's status as an affiliated health organisation has meant that it has been overlooked in the rollout of the government's commitment to employ an additional 2480 nurses across public hospitals over four years.
Ms Smith said the government "keeps finding loophole, after loophole" to exclude the Mater, even though the hospital must meet the same standards as public hospitals.
"So all the other hospitals are going to get better resources and we're getting less, but we have to do exactly the same amount of work and meet the same KPIs...," she said.
"They keep telling us we are on the agenda ... But we have been let down, because we have been on the agenda for well over 12 months and nothing has changed."
Under the new system, it's estimated the Mater would receive an additional 20 ED nurses.
This would ensure a one-to-one nursing care ratio for ED resuscitation beds on all shifts, and one nurse to three ED treatment spaces and short-stay unit beds on all shifts.
The new staffing ratios will be progressively implemented across other key hospital areas throughout NSW in a phased approach, including level 3 and 4 EDs.
Health Minister Ryan Park said on Thursday that the taskforce, which includes leaders from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, NSW Health, and local health districts, had prioritised Level 5 and 6 emergency departments in public hospitals.
"Discussions between NSW Health and Calvary Mater are ongoing on the rollout of safe staffing levels," he said.
"Since taking office, the NSW government has invested heavily in the health workforce, including major priorities identified by the union and workforce."
Calvary Mater Newcastle general manager Roz Everingham said the hospital continued advocating for inclusion in the program.
Ms Everingham said violent incidents, like what happened on Sunday, were not unusual at the Mater's ED, which provides care to a high-risk, vulnerable population.
"These increased nursing numbers would support the provision of care for patients, while also supporting our front line staff," she said.
"We are keen to receive formal notification from the Ministry of Health about our inclusion."
Tanya Bradbury, the Mater's operations manager of critical care services, said if the Mater continued to be overlooked, it would result in poor outcomes for the community.
"Why is our community going to receive different care, or our staff a different level of safety?" she asked.
"It makes no sense that there will be a different level of care for patients that present at Calvary Mater compared to a hospital that is 10 kilometres away."
Fed up with the understaffing leading to extreme cases of burnout, the nursing union's Ms Smith questioned why the Mater was "all of a sudden being treated differently".
"Our ED has the highest number of behavioural patients across all level 5 and 6 EDs in the area, and yet we are still here fighting to be included," she said.
"We are a hospital that is publicly funded. We have been absolutely isolated by the government and they have never done this before. When they were looking at nursing per patient hours, we were given those straight away. There was no argument. Yet, for these safe staffing levels, we're having to fight for it every step of the way."
The Mater's emergency department nursing unit manager, Andrew Adams, said staff were regularly overwhelmed by the lack of resources and just wanted to be treated fairly.
Mr Adams said the Mater was not asking for special treatment.
He said all staff wanted was what other similar-sized hospitals had been assessed as needing.
"We do get a lot of violence and aggression in the workplace," he said. "We need safer staffing ratios to ensure patient care and that our staff are safe."
Police confirmed an investigation was under way following an assault at the Mater on Sunday.