Health District CEO acknowledges paramedic use to fill hospital gaps

Southern NSW Local Health District CEO Margaret Bennett made the admission under questioning at a parliamentary inquiry into regional and rural health this week.

She had previously failed to confirm the claim made by the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association almost two weeks ago, published in the Goulburn Post.

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Association regional organiser Pippa Watts said paramedics were used at Yass Hospital and were proposed for Goulburn Base Hospital's maternity unit. However the latter did not go ahead after the paramedics' union raised concerns.

On Wednesday, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann and inquiry deputy chair, Cate Faehrmann, asked Ms Bennett whether Goulburn's maternity section was understaffed and if paramedics were utilised across the District during this time.

Ms Bennett replied that the absence of sufficient nurses and midwives was a challenge at Goulburn and across the broad area.

"It's a challenge every day," she said.

"It is the case that the average use of agency nurses each fortnight is 34.8 and we are very challenged with staffing in a number of locations, including Goulburn.

"Obviously the holiday environment exhausted staff, given the ongoing additional pressures of COVID...So yes, the maternity services at Goulburn were very stretched."

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The CEO told the inquiry that just recently 108 staff were furloughed due to COVID-19.

She said there was an arrangement where paramedics could be used "in times of absolute duress" and there were several who held dual qualifications in nursing and midwifery.

A "highly skilled critical care paramedic" was used for two shifts at Yass Hospital over the Christmas/New Year break.

"It was a really appropriate solution to that escalated issue...but I don't move away from the broader issue of nursing and midwifery recruitment across the District," she said.

"Although we've taken on these 80 new graduates this year, and want to take on at least that many next year, it is the case we are recruiting for about 100 nursing positions in our District and that includes midwifery staff. Recruitment for nursing, midwifery and critical care staff remains a major focus."

The Health District said this week it was recruiting for four midwifery staff and a nurse unit manager for maternity.

Asked by Ms Faerhmann whether the Health District had planned for such a large number to be furloughed due to COVID, Ms Bennett said there was an "intense amount" amount of planning and different aspects had been highlighted at various stages of the pandemic.

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"Omicron has presented a different challenge again," the CEO said.

"...Yes, we planned for it but in an LHD, even with good planning, the very unpredictable nature of who is a close contact has meant there has been a disproportionate impact at different times."

The long-running inquiry attracted 719 submissions and wrapped up this week. In a submission, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association called for restoration of nurse to patient ratios. They also wanted a review of existing duress arrangements in place across regional/rural facilities.

"This should consider at a minimum, the staffing numbers across each shift, the availability of security staff by shift and of external resources, including external security companies and police," the submission recommended.

The inquiry committee will write a report for release on April 29.

Ms Faerhmann has promised some "bloody good recommendations."

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In response to the Goulburn and Yass claims she said that despite "constant reassurances from the Health Minister that hospitals were coping," they were "clearly not when maternity units were resorting to paramedics to fill shifts."

"Paramedics are also exhausted and experiencing their own staff shortages, so to have to call on them to fill gaps in midwifery rosters that the government should have seen coming, is totally unacceptable," she said.

"Many smaller regional hospitals were struggling to find doctors and nurses before COVID hit because the NSW government has been spending money on bricks and mortar and not a strong and sustainable workforce. Hopefully the pandemic has made them realise that our frontline healthcare workers must be the number one priority in the health budget."

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