Nurses fight for better health care
By Tim Gooden
CANBERRA — Over the past several weeks, patients at Canberra Hospital have inundated the ACT Liberal government with complaints about cancelled operations and long delays due to a shortage of beds. Nurses have launched industrial action to force the government to address the crisis. Independent MLA turned Liberal minister for health, Michael Moore, has refused the nurses' call for more staff.
One woman attended casualty every day for a week suffering from severe headaches, vomiting, loss of feeling in her legs and blurred vision. She was sent home each time. It was later discovered she was suffering a severe brain condition.
To relieve the nurses' workload, Moore agreed to close 17 beds. Nurses suspended industrial action to allow new talks. However, Moore refused to give a guarantee that the beds would not be reopened. In response, the nurses called five 15-30 minute stoppages, affecting five wards.
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission has ordered the Australian Nurses Federation to end industrial action and ordered management to close the beds.