National

Nurses strike for better pay at hospital under scrutiny

By AAP Newswire

Mar 24, 2025

The Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney. — Nurses at a privately run public hospital are striking for a pay rise and staffing boost. -AAP Image

Hundreds of nurses and midwives at a public hospital run by a private conglomerate under the spotlight of an inquiry, are walking out for more than 24 hours calling for better pay and conditions.

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Striking staff on Monday at Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney are demanding a one-off 15 per cent salary increase, 30 per cent night-shift penalties, improved leave entitlements and mandated nurse to patient ratios.

The 488-bed hospital, which opened in 2018 to replace two smaller public hospitals, is one of 38 Australian hospitals run by Canadian-controlled Healthscope, owned by a multi-national private investment fund.

The controversial public-private partnership was set up under the former coalition state government.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association is urging the "second-largest private operator to put patients and staff before profits and implement safe working conditions... so they can provide quality patient care."

The strike action comes weeks after a parliamentary inquiry was established after the death of two-year-old toddler Joe Massa.

He and his parents waited three hours in the emergency department at the hospital in September 2024.

His heart attack - caused by significant fluid loss - followed repeated failures by hospital staff to conduct basic observations or respond to concerns of his mother.

The union says life-preserving care and minimum staffing levels will be maintained throughout the stop-work actions.

AAP has aproached Healthscope for a comment.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press