19 June 2019
After a number of concerns raised by members at the Riverland General Hospital, the ANMF (SA Branch) is seeking to meet with the Director of Nursing to discuss staffing arrangements at the Berri facility.
Concerns raised by members from various areas of the hospital relate to an increase in acuity level of patients while staffing numbers remain unchanged. Members have reported the hospital is consistently at-capacity, with a greater number of patients presenting more complex care needs.
Member reports include:
- senior staff leaving due to stress and workload;
- difficulty in fulfilling MET call requirements;
- feeling as though they’re unable to take tea-breaks; and
- voluntarily starting shifts early to try and cope with workload.
The ANMF (SA Branch) understands these scenarios are occurring elsewhere in regional South Australia, which is why a safe staffing model is proposed as a priority within the log of claims for the current 2019 Public Sector Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.
While EB negotiations continue, the ANMF (SA Branch) will continue to engage with Worksite Representatives at the Berri site and will keep members updated on progress when a meeting with hospital management has been scheduled.