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Lismore Base Hospital: Staffing Update
Dear Member, Earlier this week, Northern NSW Local Health District management wrote to the HSU offering to make changes to rostering arrangements for Wardpersons, with extra shifts scheduled during the week but at the expense of morning shifts on Saturday and Sunday. This change equates to the addition of 0.6 of a full-time employee. The LHD also offered one additional cleaner, rather than the three additional cleaners which HSU members argue is necessary. The hospital’s proposed solution was nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Paul, and again fails to address the chronic staffing issues that have plagued the hospital since the opening of new wards. Yesterday, the following motion was passed by your sub branch: The Lismore Base HSU Sub Branch resolves the following. We reject your offer and again restate our position of settlement:
1. Cleaning – 3 new positions, one of those positions being a Monday to Friday floor cleaner.
2. Wardsperson – 2 new positions, one morning wardsperson and one afternoon wardsperson.
3. An independent staffing review with terms of reference agreed upon by both parties.
A “traffic light system” will be implemented on our terms and we will advise you on what duties will or will not be undertaken on that day. In addition, HSU members will not be doing any cleaning or deliveries to Crawford House (excluding the fracture clinic) until our offer of settlement is accepted. Our Sub Branch will continue to raise this issue in the media and also conduct a targeted social media campaign to the community in Lismore. Further to this motion, HSU Members in IT and Maintenance have resolved that they will not be performing work in Crawford House. (Please note maintenance will perform work if and when safety of staff is at risk).
Newsletter: 514/2017 Date: 30 November 2017
Distribution: Lismore Base Hospital members Contact: Your HSU Organiser
Attached to this newsletter is the letter of offer from the LHD on Monday 27 November and the response from the HSU on 29 November. Also attached is a sign for cleaning members to use when cleaning is prioritised to clinical areas during staff shortages. The HSU is already generating media attention on this issue, with the following article appearing in the Northern Star: ‘Hospital Managers will have to empty their own bins’. If you need any further information about these bans, please contact Bill Oddie, HSU Sub Branch President (Security), or Organiser Peter Kelly at [email protected]. Your sub branch will keep you informed of the response from the LHD to our letter. In unity,
Gerard Hayes Secretary, HSU NSW/ACT
29th November 2017
GH:DP:EG: A044149
Ms Janne Boot
Director Workforce
Northern NSW Local Health District
Locked Bag 11
LISMORE NSW 2480
Email: [email protected]
Dear Ms Boot,
The Health Services Union refers to your correspondence dated 27 November
2017, relating to current short staffing matters which have been the subject of
NSW Industrial Relations Commission proceedings before Commissioner
Stanton.
As you are aware, during the on-site inspection and conciliation conference
before Commissioner Stanton last week at Lismore Base Hospital, it was
clearly identified that there were staffing shortages at Lismore Base Hospital
in a range of areas, with the most critical being cleaning services and HSAs /
Wardperson classifications.
During those proceedings the HSU provided a strictly without prejudice offer
to settle the dispute on a temporary basis pending the parties entering an
independent staffing review to ascertain the required staffing levels needed for
the newly redeveloped hospital. This review should have clearly occurred
before Phase 1 of the redevelopment and is urgently needed to ensure
Workplace Health and Safety, employee wellbeing and importantly proper
patient care.
Our terms of temporary settlement as set out below contains a significant
movement from our original staffing position from 12 September 2017.
The HSU has reviewed of management’s response and has presented that
position to the HSU Sub Branch on 29 November. The offer does very little to
alleviate the critical issues raised by your staff, including your managers and
subsequently the HSU Sub Branch has rejected the offer.
Once again without prejudice, we put our offer of settlement to this dispute in
the following terms to deal with critical short staffing arrangements on a
temporary basis pending a staffing review.
1. Cleaning – 3 new positions, one of those position being a Monday to
Friday floor cleaner.
2. Wardsperson – 2 new positions, one morning wardsperson, one
afternoon wardsperson.
3. An independent staffing review with terms of reference agreed upon by
both parties.
We require a response to this proposal in a yes/no reply by close of business
Friday 1 December. Should the temporary staffing arrangements as outlined
above be agreed, we are committed to meeting and working through agreed
solutions to the staggering of meal breaks etc.
In the event, the terms of our without prejudice offer are rejected our members
will prioritise work in the cleaning, HSA and wardspersons classifications.
Our HSU Sub Branch has resolved that whilst the Local Health District will
not employ the staff that they are asking for and conduct an independent
review, our members will implement a “traffic light system” on our terms based
upon current position descriptions/duties and we will advise you on what duties
will be prioritized and which duties will not be undertaken on that day, due to
depleted staffing levels.
We note the LHD takes exception to our media release aimed at local MP
Thomas George concerning adequate funding to ensure a newly redeveloped
hospital has adequate staffing levels to ensure proper and efficient care. We are
astounded that management of Lismore Base Hospital would take offence to
the union seeking additional funding for the hospital and suggest you would be
better served supporting our campaign before a serious critical incident occurs
due to poor staff planning and compromised patient care.
We look forward to your response.
For further information regarding the content of this letter please contact HSU
Manager David Perry [email protected] or Organiser, Peter Kelly via
email [email protected] or mobile by on 0437 421 040
Yours Sincerely,
Gerard Hayes
Secretary HSU NSW/ACT
cc: Lynne Weir, Director Clinical Operations
Commissioner J Stanton
Due to short staffing
This area will not be cleaned today
________ due to short staffing.
The Lismore Base Sub Branch of the
Health Services Union thanks you for your
understanding and support for our
campaign for increased staffing.
