Nurses flee NSW hospitals amid pay dispute

LOCAL hospitals are in the midst of a staffing crisis as nurses and midwives leave for better wages and conditions across the border.

NSW Health has reported a 13.1 per cent loss of its nursing workforce in 2022/23, driven by an exodus to higher-paying states.

Nurses and midwives in NSW are negotiating for a 15 per cent pay rise after experiencing an effective 10 per cent pay cut since 2020 due to wage stagnation and inflation.

They say wages have stagnated, equating to 2008 salary levels.

In September, more than 10,000 workers walked off the job for 24 hours, with major rallies held in Tweed, Sydney and Albury.

New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) general secretary Shaye Candish said at the time that there had been no genuine attempt to negotiate on the pay and conditions claim.

“Nurses and midwives are outraged by the Government’s unwillingness to negotiate beyond its insulting 3 per cent offer, especially since we found the savings to fund the pay rise,” Ms Candish said.

“If the Government doesn’t heed our warnings and deliver a decent pay increase, we will see more nurses and midwives leave the system, and patients will be the ones to suffer the consequences.”

Despite regular strikes in recent months, no significant progress has been made after the rejection of a State Government offer of a 10.5 per cent pay rise over three years.

Queensland is offering $20,000 sign-on and retention bonuses for healthcare workers relocating from interstate, with up to $70,000 offered to those willing to work in rural or remote areas for more than two years.

A community forum, ‘Vital Work’, will be held at the Banora Point Community Centre on Wednesday, November 6.

It will feature speakers including NSWNMA Tweed Branch president Kristin Ryan-Agnew and Murwillumbah branch secretary Angie Gittus.