Emergency Department at RHH at capacity once again

ANMF raises its concern, once again, to the continuation of ‘bed block’ in the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Thursday 21st July presentations to Emergency Department (ED) far outweighed bed availability with the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) being full to capacity with 40 patients and all resus bays full.

“The announcement of opening beds in the middle of the winter season is too late for the influx of presentations that this season is bringing. Short-term recruitment is difficult in response to crisis reaction to open beds and Nurse Unit Managers are unable to recruit nurses, to ensure these beds can be safely staffed. These beds cannot be staffed on overtime and double shifts”

“The government freeze on increasing full time equivalent (FTE) nursing staff is also a disadvantage on building a resilient future nursing workforce, and prevents any investment in the future security for health overall in Tasmania.”

“ANMF believes that Tasmania must grow its own nursing workforce for the future and staff hospitals in a strategic long term plan. If our government invests further in Educator hours and support on the wards, and employs more graduates we would grow a wellqualified workforce enabled to handle the demand of presentations and ageing population.” State Branch Secretary Neroli Ellis says.

“ANMF once again calls on the Minister to step in and immediately address this ongoing stressful situation within the RHH.”

anmftas.org.au
Janine Kemp