Exasperated Muriwai Ward Nurses Strike Again Over Unsafe Staffing
by NZNO · SCOOPNurses and health care assistants working on the Muriwai Ward at Waitākere Hospital will strike for the second time this year after last ditch efforts to resolve unsafe staffing concerns with Te Whatu Ora collapsed, NZNO says.
The 60 members of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO will hold a two-hour health and safety strike tomorrow morning (Monday 21 September) from 8am to 10am.
NZNO delegate Neil Warrington, who has worked at the specialist stroke and older adult ward for 23 years, says striking is a last resort for staff.
"We have begged Te Whatu Ora for one more nurse to be rostered on night shifts as a temporary solution. We believe this is essential to keep our patients safe.
"Te Whatu Ora have closed five beds in the ward so they can use them in their underfunded new intensive care ward. This has reduced the pressure on day and evening shifts, but we remain concerned for patients and staff working the understaffed night shifts.
"We don’t take this action lightly. We have been raising our concerns since April that chronic short staffing is putting patient safety at risk. We shouldn’t have to go to these lengths for one more nurse in a desperate attempt to give our patients the care they need," Neil Warrington says.
"We are exasperated. Our now 36-bed ward is made up of patients who have extensive health care needs. Many of them are completely dependent on help to eat, wash and toilet.
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"We are not providing the quality of care we should because we don’t have enough staff. This can lead to patients being unattended and having falls and being injured, which occurred in July."
Neil Warrington says Te Whatu Ora is refusing to give any commitment the reduction of five beds will be permanent, and staff are concerned they will return to being a 41-bed ward and understaffed across all shifts.
Muriwai NZNO nurses and health care assistants held a one-hour health and safety strike in July. Tomorrow will be the second strike this year over patient safety.
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