Latest news with #NSWNursesandMidwives'Association
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
'Regardless of postcode': abortion access laws debated
Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate. An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW. It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024. Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024. Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says. The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance". Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation. Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services. "Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said. "We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode." The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote. Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house. Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft. Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many". Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access". "This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday. She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney. Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied. NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals. "We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said. "Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource." The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt". It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience". The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate. An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW. It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024. Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024. Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says. The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance". Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation. Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services. "Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said. "We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode." The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote. Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house. Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft. Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many". Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access". "This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday. She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney. Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied. NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals. "We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said. "Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource." The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt". It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience". The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate. An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW. It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024. Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024. Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says. The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance". Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation. Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services. "Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said. "We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode." The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote. Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house. Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft. Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many". Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access". "This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday. She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney. Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied. NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals. "We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said. "Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource." The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt". It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience". The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Barriers to women terminating pregnancies in regional areas are being broken down by allowing nurses to prescribe abortion pills, but the legal changes are sparking fiery debate. An amended bill from Greens MP Amanda Cohn aims to overcome "abortion deserts" in NSW. It comes after revelations a woman was turned away from having an abortion on the day of her planned procedure at Queanbeyan Hospital in August 2024. Another public hospital in Orange restricted terminations for non-medical reasons, triggering the intervention of Health Minister Ryan Park to reinstate abortions without restrictions in October 2024. Abortion was decriminalised in NSW in 2019, but is not always accessible, particularly in rural and regional areas, Dr Cohn says. The proposed reforms would require the state to ensure services were available within a "reasonable distance". Nurses and endorsed midwives with appropriate training would be able to prescribe medical abortion medicine, known as MS-2 Step, up to nine weeks of gestation. Greens MP Jenny Leong told NSW parliament on Tuesday the bill was crucial because only three out of 220 public hospitals in the state openly provided abortion services. "Rural and regional communities disproportionately bear the brunt of this inconsistency, forced to drive for hours to access their right to choose," Ms Leong said. "We will keep fighting to ensure that all those who need to access abortion care do so regardless of their postcode." The amended bill could pass as early as Tuesday night, with the eventual vote likely to divide the major parties, which have allowed members a conscience vote. Premier Chris Minns said he would back the legislation after the government managed to water down the original bill in the upper house. Proposed changes to compel conscientious objectors to facilitate the procedures and to lift mandatory reporting for health workers were scrapped in the final draft. Mr Park, who called himself a feminist in his advocacy for better health care for women, acknowledged "law reform in this area remains a sensitive issue for many". Opposition health spokeswoman Kellie Sloane supports the proposed legislation in its current form, saying it "is a targeted, practical measure to improve access". "This is not an abstract debate. It's personal, it's emotional and it is complex," she told parliament on Tuesday. She cited data from Family Planning Australia, which found 28 per cent of NSW local government areas had no doctor providing medical abortion scripts and access dropped off sharply outside metropolitan Sydney. Ms Sloane described it as "a real and unjust" disparity that should be remedied. NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association acting general secretary Michael Whaites said the union supported the laws, which would rely on the "under-utilised" health professionals. "We see this as an important change that will improve access to care," he said. "Nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives have the necessary qualifications, clinical experience, training, and lawful authority to safely prescribe and make referrals and are an under-utilised resource." The bill has been opposed by both sides of the aisle, including Liberal MP Tanya Davies, who described the original amendments as "morally abhorrent", and Labor MP Hugh McDermott, who said it was a "political stunt". It has become a lightning rod for rallies outside parliament, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher and social media influencers claiming it forces medical practitioners to perform abortions and shut down private religious hospitals. Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, who spoke at an anti-abortion rally on Wednesday, called the bill "a fundamental assault on freedom of conscience". The laws will take effect later in May if the bill is passed. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Advertiser
Five workers assaulted in 24 hours, as Mater ED snubbed in safe staff plan
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.
