Workers at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s Cancer Clinical Trials Unit walked off the job today, staging a 30-minute strike over plans they say will slash staff numbers by 58%.
The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) warned the proposed cuts threaten patient safety and access to life-extending treatments for Tasmanians with rare and advanced cancers.
“These cuts are not just numbers on a page, they are lives on the line,” HACSU state secretary Robbie Moore said.
“These reductions put patient safety at risk and limit access to potentially life-extending treatments.”
The unit delivers experimental treatments and research into solid tumours and blood cancers, often providing patients with their last treatment option.
Moore argued the changes would undermine the state’s cancer care future, saying trials lay “the foundation for breakthroughs that could save countless lives”.
But the Department of Health has rejected the union’s claims, insisting no jobs will be cut and staffing will continue to be tailored to patient needs.
It said it was committed to working constructively with employees.
“Certainly no clinical trials will be cut and no staff losses are contemplated,” government minister Nick Duigan said.
“Staffing for that unit is on an as-needs basis but we would continue to work and engage with those staff delivering those critically important trials.”
The union is calling for the staffing changes to be scrapped and for the department to collaborate with clinical trial professionals to protect both research and patient care.
