The new Griffith Base Hospital is missing key equipment. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
The Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) has denied multiple claims that Griffith Base Hospital patients have been transferred to the nearby St Vincent’s Private Hospital over the past seven days due to chronic staff shortages.
Several sources have informed Region that nurses are being pushed to do double shifts to cover gaps in rosters, meaning wards are not properly staffed and patients have had to be transferred to the private hospital to ensure they receive a safe level of care.
But this has been refuted by the MLHD.
“The suggestion that Griffith Base Hospital transferred patients to a private hospital due to staffing issues is untrue,” MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford said.
“Griffith Base Hospital continues to operate as normal, with no changes to staffing and rosters apart from a standard, small number of staff on sick leave.
“As part of standard operations, St Vincent’s Private Hospital accepts transfers for patients with private health insurance to continue their treatment and recovery journey when appropriate.”
Health advocate and real estate agent Brendan Catanzariti says ongoing staff shortages at the public hospital create a difficult situation for both patients and nurses.
“For elderly patients, it’s disorientating enough to be in hospital. When they get moved while they’re undergoing treatment, it makes it so much worse,” he said.
“I feel for the nurses, it’s not their fault. They’re not just overworked but they’re underappreciated, so I can understand why they can’t do back-to-back shifts.”
Mr Catanzariti is part of a group that is pushing for Griffith hospital to separate from its Wagga-based administrators at the MLHD.
“If we had our own board and our own recruitment, we could take control of these situations,” he said.
“MLHD claims it’s a nationwide shortage, but there are nurses willing to come to Griffith. The problem is, recruitment can take up to six months from the time a nurse puts in their application. It takes so long that the applicants give up while they’re waiting and go somewhere else.
“We should be able to fill vacancies a lot more quickly. When there are shortages, MLHD prioritises Wagga. Griffith is always the poorer cousin and they don’t think about us.
“For some reason, MLHD still haven’t opened a rehabilitation ward full-time at the Griffith hospital. The doctors and nurses are saying we can’t work under these conditions. That’s why we need to run our own hospital, so we can address these issues ourselves.”
Over the past five years, nurses and midwives at Griffith Base Hospital have staged several protests over pay, conditions and staff shortages.
Griffith nurses protest on Banna Avenue during a day of statewide protests in 2024. Photo: Denny Fachin/What’s On Griffith.
Griffith resident Yvonne Turnell says more people in Griffith need to make a noise to ensure ongoing problems in the hospital are addressed.
“Things are getting worse, we are going backwards. The hospital was much better equipped many years ago,” she said.
“We are being set up to fail. People need to make a submission to the inquiry about Helen Dalton MP’s bill on splitting from the MLHD to let people know they are not happy with the lack of services at our hospital and that we can do better.”
If you know more about this story, call Oliver on 0498 843 181 or email: [email protected]
Original Article published by Oliver Jacques on Region Riverina.
