Exasperated Muriwai Ward Nurses Strike Again Over Unsafe Staffing

Nurses 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.

“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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