'People will suffer': Nurses to strike again as fears mount over local health system collapse

NSW nurses and midwives will once again walk off the job on Thursday, a mere six weeks after an initial strike in February as they seek to highlight short staffing, workloads and patient safety.

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NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) branches across the state voted in favour of the 24-hour strike and will be hosting public demonstrations, including one in Belmore Park at 10am Thursday.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association southern region organiser Pippa Watts said the state government's failure to deliver an offer to the union since a February 21 meeting forced their hand.

"We just feel like we didn't get anywhere in terms of talks or negotiations with the government after that event," she said.

"Now we feel like we've got no choice but to go again and for longer to make it hurt.

"It was bad before COVID and what's it's done has highlighted all the staffing and skill mix issues that we have in NSW hospitals.

"Just the sheer ignorance of this government to even acknowledge or address the staffing issues in our public hospitals is atrocious."

Her sentiments were reinforced by NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes who was scathing in a statement confirming the strike action.

"We've had ongoing reports of nurses and midwives working double shifts and increased amounts of overtime, gaps in staffing rosters going unfilled for weeks, vacant positions being left unfilled for months, as well as daily text messages begging staff to pick up extra shifts," he said.

"Our members are scathing of the government's unwillingness to continue an open dialogue with us about their claim for shift by shift nurse-to-patient ratios, improved maternity staffing and a modest pay rise."

Nurses across the three Goulburn branches will join those from Yass Hospital, Crookwell Hosptial, Batemans Bay Hospital, Bega's South East Regional Hospital and Cooma Hospital in an attempt to force the Perrottet government back to the negotiating table.

Watts warned that nurses and midwives were 'broken' with some unable to properly access downtime, a scenario she claimed would instantly be improved with staffing ratios (four patients to one nurse).

"Nurses and midwives are exhausted and broken and leaving the system because they just can't cope anymore and that means people will suffer," she explained.

"Even in that precious downtime they have they get messages asking if they can come into work, can they do overtime. They don't even get to mentally switch off.

"Failure to listen to nurses and midwives in NSW will be catastrophic for them. Ratios will resolve a lot of problems experienced across metro and regional hospitals like Goulburn Base and smaller ones like Yass and Crookwell.

"To us it's a no brainer."

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