The Australian Nursing Federation WA said dozens of nurses were shocked to find out their contracts had not been renewed in recent weeks.
Nurses have been told at the last minute they were no longer employed at Busselton Hospital.Getty Images
Some nurses who had worked at the hospital under casual arrangements for more than a decade only found out when they arrived at work on Thursday morning and could not log in to the hospital systems.
This masthead understands nurses started being caught out at the beginning of the month. Several nurses have since had their employment reinstated quickly after hospital bosses warned WA Country Health Service the hospital could not cope without them.
WACHS chief operating officer Rob Pulsford said the issue was due to an administrative error.
“A new administrative process has resulted in a small backlog of contract approvals,” he said.
“We are urgently addressing this and apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience caused.”
Pulsford said the service was growing its workforce.
“This year,we welcomed nearly 200 newly qualified nurses and midwives in country WA – a record number,” he said.
The issue was revealed the same day Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson embarked on a 10-day mission to India to recruit medical staff to resolve staffing issues that have plagued WA’s hospital system since the pandemic.
ANFWA secretary Janet Reah told 6PR’sMorningsthere had been a budget blowout around agency and casual workforces,particularly in rural and regional areas.
She accused hospital operators of trying to claw back that money.
“At the very least,this whole situation is unprofessional by the employer and at its worst,it’s the most disgraceful management of the health system,” she said.
Sanderson said forecasts predicted WA would need an additional 5000 full-time equivalent doctors and nurses by 2033.
“Work is under way on the WA Workforce Strategy,through the WA Health Workforce Summit and roundtables,but we already know migrant healthcare workers will continue to play an important role in our healthcare system,” she said.
“India has a strategy to produce high-quality healthcare workers in numbers greater than they need for their own healthcare system,with a view to facilitating migration elsewhere,and we want to make sure WA is their number one choice.”
Sanderson will deliver keynote speeches at BioAsia 2024 and UmagineTN 2024 to spruik WA as a working destination for healthcare professionals while on her trip.
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