Tasmania nurses will walk off the job on Thursday afternoon, expressing concerns of the government’s decision on banning ambulance ramping.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Tasmanian Branch has announced it will hold Stop Work Meetings today.
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These meetings are scheduled at 2:00pm outside the Launceston General Hospital, and on Friday, March 15, 2024, at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Members of the ANMF argue that the proposed transfer of care procedure, intended to address ambulance ramping, could merely shift the burden to hospitals, resulting in prolonged wait times for patients in need of urgent care.
Emily Shepherd, the Secretary of the ANMF Tasmanian Branch, asserted that prohibiting ambulance ramping and reaching an agreement to offload ramped patients would not resolve the underlying issue responsible for ramping.
“If the Government is serious about enabling access and flow then that is where they should be focusing their energy,” Ms Shepherd said.
“Otherwise, the ramped patients will end up ramped inside hospital corridors, without the sufficient number of nurses and doctors needed to provide satisfactory care.”
The ANMF has been advocating for a collaborative approach with the Government to develop a Transfer of Care procedure over the past year.
The organisation said insufficient staffing and resources further compound these challenges, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive solutions.
“The ANMF urges the Government to prioritise improvements in offload times alongside enhancements to access and flow, with adequate resource allocation,” said in a statement.
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