Tasmania’s nurses union is taking the state government to the industrial umpire, claiming patients are being dumped in corridors and cupboards to meet ambulance ramping targets.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) lodged an application with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission on Monday, with backing from the Australian Medical Association.
ANMF acting secretary Phoebe Mansell said the decision came after repeated attempts to resolve concerns with the Tasmanian Health Service had failed.
“We have tried to resolve this locally, including through commission-directed working groups, but there has been no meaningful engagement,” she said.
“Our members are being asked shift after shift to deliver care in environments that are simply not safe.”
The stoush centres on the government’s ‘transfer of care’ policy, which since December has required patients arriving by ambulance to be handed to hospital staff within 45 minutes – down from the previous 60-minute target.
Mansell said the tighter timeframe was putting patients at risk.
“Patients are being moved into corridors and non-clinical spaces without adequate staffing, monitoring or equipment and nurses are expected to carry that risk,” she said.
Deputy Premier Guy Barnett rejected calls to pause the policy, pointing to a 64% reduction in ramping hours.
“It’s a winner when you see 17,500 hours extra of paramedics and ambulances on the street in our communities, in our rural and regional areas,” he said.
He said the government could “always do better”, but would not say whether it would participate in binding arbitration.
The union is calling for emergency departments to be staffed at agreed safe levels on every shift and for patient transfers to be based on clinical need rather than strict time limits.
Mansell said the situation would not be resolved by shifting blame between health workers.
“Ramping is not the cause of this crisis – it is the symptom,” she said.
“Now is not the time to place further pressure on an already broken system.”
“Doctors and nurses stand united in their call for safety, accountability and a healthcare system that works for patients.”
