Nurses at the publicly funded hospital in Darlinghurst were concerned to receive an email on Friday announcing close observation nurses would no longer be used on morning shifts from Monday to Friday.
The directive sparked a snap meeting of union members that afternoon and a letter to St Vincent’s management demanding the hospital reassure staff that no nursing roles would be affected by the hospital’s reported financial woes.
A nurse requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly said these additional staff – commonly an enrolled nurse or assistant in nursing – were essential for providing one-on-one care for patients with behavioural problems,dementia or elderly patients at risk of a fall.
They said some colleagues were concerned removing them would “cause more instances of injuries such as falls” and further staff burnout.
In a statement,St Vincent’s spokesman David Faktor said any changes to staffing arrangements would “not involve any reduction of clinical frontline nurses”.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association first wrote to hospital management last Wednesday asking whether nursing staff would be affected by a forecast $70 million deficit by July,including a $7.5 million shortfall for staff pay,goods and services,after financial documents were leaked toThe Saturday Paper last month.
In response,acting chief operating officer Andrea Ness confirmed the hospital was experiencing budgetary pressures “as it shifts out of a COVID-response phase and returns to more predictable operating tempo”.
“This is a common and frequently told story in today’s public health care setting,which is experiencing significant change and adjustment in the wake of the pandemic,” she wrote.
On Wednesday,Faktor said the hospital was not insolvent. “We must,however,address a range of financial challenges that are impacting the sector as a whole,” he said.
Nurses were also told last week they would no longer receive an allowance given to the nurse in-charge on mornings the unit manager is working.
In the second letter,nurses said they were concerned staffing changes were already underway at the hospital despite Ness’ letter reassuring them that management would “certainly consult on any proposed changes to be made”.
They said the changes were “grossly disrespectful” and demanded management reverse them until it had consulted meaningfully with union members.
“In a time when nursing staff have reported being overstretched in managing patient loads,the Branch finds this directive to be ... detrimental to the wellbeing of staff and patients,” the letter said.
NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association assistant general secretary Michael Whaites said the union was “deeply concerned when it comes to positions being cut and when members’ entitlements are not being honoured”.
In its submission to the NSW health spending inquiry,St Vincent’s said a lack of government funding for infrastructure over the past decade had created “critical challenges around sustainability of services” at the hospital.
Health Minister Ryan Park was contacted for comment. A government spokesman said hospital budgets were allocated through annual service agreements which consider activity (how many patients the hospital treats) and performance expectations.
The staff and budgetary unrest comes at a difficult time for the St Vincent’s network,which by the Department of Home Affairs after hackers stole data in a.
In its latest update on the hack,St Vincent’s said it had not detected any activity by cybercriminals on their network since December 20 and investigators were yet to find any evidence the stolen data contains any sensitive personal information.
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