Nurses and midwives at Westmead Private Hospital have walked off the job today, as calls for better pay and conditions ramp up.
From 7 to 11am this morning, members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) rallied outside Westmead Private Hospital to fight against Ramsay Health Care’s “unacceptable pay and conditions” offer.
The four-hour work stoppage resulted in many operating theatres being closed and a ban on working overtime.
As part of the ongoing industrial action, nurses and midwives are also refusing to do non-clinical duties such as answering phones, checking stock, emptying bins, cleaning and food or drink service.
Westmead Private Hospital nurse and NSWMA delegate Kathryn Bloomfield said it was a difficult but necessary decision to strike.
“[The industrial action] wasn’t taken lightly, there was a lot of consideration because we want to make sure our patients are all cared for, but we feel that this is the only way that Ramsay Healthcare are going to listen,” she told Parra News.
“We’re just trying to send the message to Ramsay that this not good enough, we can do better.”
The nurse of over 20 years and Parramatta local said Westmead Private Hospital staff are “fed up” of the current working conditions.
“[We’re] exhausted, tired, frustrated, feeling devalued because Ramsay like to say that they care about people, but they aren’t really caring for their staff and ultimately caring for their patients,” Bloomfield added.
The Westmead rally coincided with the first day of Ramsay’s second vote to members, after they increased their pay offer slightly to 12.5 per cent over three years.
The union is asking for 18 per cent over three years.
But the Westmead Private Hospital’s staff aren’t just fighting for better pay – they’re also calling for safe nurse-to-patient ratios.
“The NSWNMA is continuing to call on the private hospital operator to put staff and patients before profits and come to the table with a pay offer that is above inflation and takes into account cost of living increases,” a NSWNMA statement said.
“It is also demanding Ramsay commits to safe staffing ratios for all wards and units in their NSW hospitals.”
Bloomfield said nurses have had enough.
“We can’t provide the care that we want to provide and are expected to provide [without ratios] because we’re just chronically understaffed and exhausted,” she said.
“Also, we can’t retain staff because people are just exhausted… why would you want to work there when it’s just so difficult?”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.