The nurse’s union passed a resolution to strike this week if a “satisfactory answer” was not given to fix the understaffing issues found in the new report.
This prompted the health authority to file the dispute with the commission.
The report was created after the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association hired an expert to investigate staffing levels at the John Hunter Hospital operating theatre complex, taking into account annual leave, sick leave and long service leave.
It has found that the John Hunter Hospital operating theatre campus, which includes Royal Newcastle Centre, was understaffed by 37.5 full-time equivalent nurses.
The union’s general secretary Brett Holmes has claimed hospital management was “cooking the books” and nurses were exhausted and at breaking point from not getting proper leave entitlements.
“The longs and short is, nurses are being told they can’t take leave,’’ he said.
“They are being worked past the point of exhaustion, their health and welfare is in grave danger and safe patient care cannot be guaranteed with staff half dead from fatigue.”
The investigation was carried out by registered nurse, Kerry Rodgers, an expert on the Australian College of Operating Room Nurses standards.
Hunter New England’s director of nursing and midwifery Karen Kelly said they were prepared to discuss the report’s findings in meetings held last week but the threatened strike action left them with “no choice” but to take the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission.
“Operating theatre lists and staffing levels are regularly monitored and reviewed in line with accepted guidelines, and staffing levels determined accordingly,” she said.
“Nursing staff have the opportunity to take their leave when requested.
“The number of permanent full-time equivalent theatre nurses has increased over the past 12-18 months.
“This includes seven new nurses who started towards the end of last year and who were selected from among 98 applicants for the positions.”
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