23 December 2020
The ANMF (SA Branch) has expressed its serious concern to CALHN about the very high levels of demand at the RAH and the stress and pressure impacting members working across all areas of the hospital.
Our members have advised that there is inadequate staff available to meet this demand, with members being asked if they could return from annual leave or being told that their annual leave requests cannot be approved at this time.
Other members are being required to work extra hours, including double shifts to cover for the lack of staff and skills mix available and supervising the influx of agency staff and relievers who have been deployed to meet the demand. We also understand that Nurse Unit Managers are being required to work on the floor, in addition to their normal workloads.
Members are feeling overwhelmed, fatigued and stressed and the current working conditions are not safe or sustainable.
It is of significant concern that CALHN has not yet implemented a plan to manage fatigue and burnout. This is despite SA Health developing a Fatigue Management Framework for the local health networks in 2019. SA Health CEO Chris McGowan further committed in May 2020 that all LHNs must implement a fatigue management plan that is no less beneficial than the SA Health Fatigue Management Framework.
CALHN is yet to implement any fatigue policy or procedure. We understand that CALHN has established a governance committee and are in the process of developing the structure and framework around wellness activities. However, this is of little support to staff during the current peak period of demand.
The ANMF believes that CALHN has failed to uphold its commitment to the safety and wellbeing of its employees by failing to implement a fatigue management policy. We also view this as a breach of obligations under the NMEA 2020 and work health safety laws.
We are demanding that CALHN provides timeframes for the implementation of fatigue policy.
We affirm that CALHN must ensure that the minimum staffing requirements, pursuant to the Nursing and Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2020, are met at all times. This includes ensuring that any time worked by a NUM is not counted towards the minimum staffing requirements. The ANMF intend to monitor staffing compliance over this next period closely.
It is also interesting to note that CALHN has recently advised that the Department for Health has given approval for the Voluntary Separation Packages process to recommence. CALHN intends to reassess outstanding expressions and registrations of interest in relation to the VSPs.
It beggars belief that CALHN would consider the reduction of some 70 FTE of nursing staff when it cannot meet current patient demand.
The ANMF (SA Branch) has contacted CALHN and sought an immediate response to the issues raised.