Less than a week out from Christmas and the New Year, members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) are worried about safe staffing levels in multiple wards at Griffith Base Hospital.
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They say the situation has been compounded by up to 26 full-time equivalent vacant nursing positions.
Over recent weeks, members of the association's Griffith Base Hospital branch have highlighted significant short-staffing concerns to Murrumbidgee Local Health District.
They have pleaded for outstanding job vacancies to be filled as a matter of urgency prior to the busy holiday season.
NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the branch was disappointed the Local Health District hadn't addressed all of the critical staffing issues.
Griffith Base Hospitals general manager Greg Brylski hit back, saying the team meets with the NSWNA regularly and complies with all reasonable requests in a timely manner.
Of particular concern to the association was specialty areas like maternity services, intensive care, operating theatres and the emergency department.
"The Local Health District has known about the nurse staffing issues inside Griffith Base for the past six months," he said.
While some minor changes have occurred to escalation plans, critical patient safety concerns linked to adequate staffing still remain.
- NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association general secretary Brett Holmes
"While some minor changes have occurred to escalation plans, critical patient safety concerns linked to adequate staffing still remain," said Mr Holmes.
Mr Holmes said their members have told the union there are up to 26 full-time equivalent nursing positions currently vacant, eight of those vacancies are within maternity services alone.
"We understand the hospital is reliant on 18 agency staff covering the remaining shortfalls across many specialty areas."
"The short-staffing has forced a large number of permanent part-time nurses feeling obligated to work additional uncontracted shifts and full-time staff working regular overtime, leaving management with little capacity to backfill any unexpected sick leave.
Griffith Base Hospital General Manager Greg Brylski responded to The Area News questions saying the hospital's management "remains committed to the delivery of safe patient care."
"The team meets with the NSWNA regularly and complies with all reasonable requests in a timely manner," he stated.
"The hospital has planned for the Christmas period and beyond, as it always does, and will be staffed appropriately over the festive season.
He said difficulty recruiting staff was not a problem isolated to Griffith.
We are asking the community to work with us to promote Griffith as a positive place to live and work. The Griffith Base Hospital is also working with the Griffith City Council to pave the way for GBH to become a town and employer of choice.
- GBH general manager Greg Brylski
"Recruiting to regional and remote areas is a significant challenge for all health districts, and Murrumbidgee LHD is no exception," he said.
"However, all nursing vacancies have active recruitment in progress. Where possible, agency staff are employed on short term contracts to fill roster gaps and vacancies, particularly the specialty areas of intensive care and maternity where it is more difficult to attract experienced nurses.
Mr Brylski said from mid-2012 and mid-2019 MLHD had increased its workforce by an additional 475 full time equivalent staff, an increase of 17.4 per cent including 49 more doctors, 261 more nurses and midwives, and 68 more allied health staff.
"We are asking the community to work with us to promote Griffith as a positive place to live and work. The Griffith Base Hospital is also working with the Griffith City Council to pave the way for GBH to become a town and employer of choice," Mr Brylski said.
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Yet the branch says despite raising these concerns repeatedly with little improvement, the union asserts many of their members believe it's now impacting on their ability to deliver safe patient care.
"Our members are part of this community and they want to provide the best healthcare possible to the people of Griffith and the surrounding areas, but they cannot continue under these conditions," Mr Holmes said.
Members of the NSWNMA Griffith Base Hospital branch have called on Murrumbidgee Local Health District to be proactive in its recruitment strategies and are seeking support from the local community.
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