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Physiotherapists strike at Sydney's RPA Hospital
13 March 2009
Over 20 physiotherapists at Sydney’s major teaching hospital, Royal Prince Alfred will stop-work today (13 March 2009) because patients' care is at risk owing to 8 vacant physiotherapists' positions remaining unfilled at the hospital.
HSU NSW lead organiser Gerard Hayes says the action has been forced on the physiotherapists after a month of trying to get hospital management to agree to discuss their concerns. "Royal Prince Alfred Hospital management have chosen to ignore any meetings to talk through the physiotherapists concerns, so they have been forced to take this drastic action" Gerard Hayes said.
"It is unfortunate but patients are suffering everyday at the hospital because there are a lack of physiotherapists, when one is on leave or away from work they are not replaced meaning outpatients are constantly having cancelled appointments or enduring lengthy waits for appointment times."
"There are currently 8 vacant full time physiotherapists' positions resulting in increased work and additional pressure for the remaining staff. This also means that there are less available appointments for patients to access during the week because of this severe shortage of staff" Gerard Hayes said.
"These physiotherapists' positions are not insignificant to the running of one of the state's largest hospitals - they are key front line positions which impact directly on patient treatment. It is alarming to learn that patients are being admitted to the hospital for treatment instead of being treated through the outpatient clinics which means extra costs to the hospitals for inpatient care and increased distress to patients who are in hospital rather than being treated whilst at home. "
Gerard Hayes also added that "The lack of these 8 physiotherapists' positions has also resulted in the Hydrotherapy Pool being closed for outpatients. The hydrotherapy pool is an important part of a patients' treatment."
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