Health workers warn over patient care
Six out of 10 WA health workers believe Government cutbacks in the past year have directly affected patient care, with a third blaming reduced staffing levels.
Responses to a Health Services Union WA survey of 650 public hospital staff also blame a lack of equipment and excessive workloads for poorer patient care.
Asked whether they had seen cuts to funding or resources in the past year that had affected the quality of care, only 17 per cent said no.
"Although not a cutback, the cancer centre has experienced a large rise in the number of patients being seen . . . staff are working unpaid hours to cover the extra work but only one additional full-time employee is being allowed," one worker said.
"No overtime allowed but expected to do the same or more work in a normal day," another worker said.
The union said Treasurer Mike Nahan's threat to cut staff from the health system would further compromise patient care.
This week Dr Nahan warned that if public sector unions continued to push for above-inflation pay rises it would cost jobs.
HSUWA secretary Dan Hill said the Treasurer had "spat the dummy" after the WA Industrial Relations Commission ruled that it was unfair to expect HSUWA members to accept his wages policy when doctors, nurses and other health workers were granted much higher rises.
"For the Treasurer to turn around and tell our members that they could now face losing their jobs because of the commission's ruling is outrageous," Mr Hill said.
The union represents more than 16,000 people, including pharmacists, medical imaging technologists, radiation therapists and mental health workers.
