1. Media Releases
  2. Staffing Issues at John Hunter Hospital to Be Raised

Staffing Issues at John Hunter Hospital to Be Raised

Media Releases

State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will raise concerns about the staffing levels at the John Hunter Hospital in Parliament today.

Ms Hornery will raise concerns following reports by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) that patients have missed out on thousands of hours of nursing care due to understaffing at the John Hunter Hospital.

The NSWNMA have been campaigning for one nurse to three patients in emergency departments, paediatric wards and critical care units and a minimum of one to four in rural and regional hospital wards. They have also campaigned for an improvement of ratios in mental health and rehabilitation units and for babies to be counted in the ratios on maternity wards.

Ms Hornery will also raise staff concerns following the release of the Alliance NSW health check report which showed significant problems with staff wellbeing.

Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery

“This is becoming a recurring issue. In September last year we saw the exact same problem, with a shortfall of nearly 7000 nursing care hours.”

“It’s high time that the State Government recognised that our nurses and midwives and their patients deserve better.”

“In case it wasn’t already clear, nurses at the John Hunter Hospital are reaching burn out. According to senior nursing staff, many are leaving because the work has become too stressful and they are not getting enough support.”

“Nurses at John Hunter Hospital are facing a laundry list of issues including the opening of unfunded and understaffed beds, forced excessive overtime, staff on sick leave not being replaced, missed meal breaks and unpaid overtime.”

“Our nurses are doing the best they can, and while Hunter New England Health is promising swift action, they promised that they would fix the problems last year.”

“The recent Alliance NSW health report card showed that even more staff had experienced bullying and harassment in the last year than in 2017.”

“The Hospital could only muster an overall rating of C and wellbeing was rated a D.”

“Enough is enough. The Health Minister needs to step in.”

Menu