Philip Supports Nurses in pay dispute

19th October, 2022

If it wasn’t for our doctors and nurses, our hospital system would be much worse than it is today.

About a month ago, I fronted the media about another overdose, again involving blood pressure medication that just shouldn’t have happened, and the amount of incidents being reported to Augusto and I daily by our nurses and doctors is absolutely staggering. It’s actually very serious and our health system is fundamentally broken at this point in time.

The WA Govt has for the last few years restricted any public sector pay rises to $1,000 per year, yet has continued to increase the cost of services across the board, causing total pay to go backwards and not keep pace with inflation. Our nurses have quite frankly had enough, as have many other state, and non-state employed workers.

Remember how a few years ago, our doctors, nurses, paramedics and emergency services workers were referred to as “Hero’s” well they are not feeling that now. At the same time our government said they were protecting our medical system, however recent events have shown a system in complete distress, with Ambulance ramping, 000 failures, hospitals on either bypass, closed or where no beds are available.

This has happened on our WA Government’s watch, and our nurses deserve safe working conditions. Patients rely on the fact that when we are at our weakest, that is when we are sick, that our 000 call will be answered, that an Ambulance will arrive, that our hospitals will be open and assessable, and that we have doctors and nurses to look after us. Health is one of the most important issues to our population, and it’s time for the BS to just stop.

It’s also time for the WA and Cth Govt to stop raising taxes and prices, especially for services when workers are being left behind. It’s time for respectful and safe nursing ratios and not for these to be implemented in many years’ time as has been reported.

What all this shows the WA public is that there’s been massive underinvestment in our health system, and this is frankly unacceptable, and no amount of political spin will ever change this!

So to every nurse, I support you and it’s time that you receive the recognition, support and safe working conditions you, and incidentally, the WA public as patients deserve.