Nurses at the Calvary Mater Newcastle say their hospital must be included in the NSW government's "safe staffing" program to prevent a "two-tiered system". Login or signup to continue reading John Hunter Hospital was last week named in the safe staffing program, but the Calvary Mater was not. Camilla Smith, the Mater branch secretary for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, said "we're very concerned".
"Why would an RN [registered nurse] want to work at the Mater, when you can get better working conditions at John Hunter?" Ms Smith said. She said there was "a loss of hope and a feeling of what about us". Mater branch vice president, Dee Spoljaric, started an e-petition urging the government to name the hospital on the safe staffing schedule.
The petition has 535 signatures, meaning NSW Health Minister Ryan Park must respond to it in Parliament. The nurses are hoping for 20,000 signatures, which would force a debate in Parliament. Mrs Spoljaric said the nurses plan to attend shopping centres to help hit the target.
"It's about equality and fairness for our community, nurses and patients. We deserve the same as John Hunter and the Sydney hospitals," the radiation oncology nurse said. "The Mater is the major cancer hospital for the district.
The district we serve is as big as England." A Calvary Mater Newcastle statement said it was "a public hospital committed to providing safe, critical health services to the local community". "Calvary Mater Newcastle is supportive of neg.