Similar rallies were held on 23 July, outside Port Macquarie and Kempsey hospitals.

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“The NSW nurses and midwives are asking for a 15 percent pay increase in one year,” Coffs Harbour NSWNMA Branch Secretary Joanne Cooper told News Of The Area.

“We are currently the lowest paid in the country.

“For example, a new graduate nurse or midwife in Queensland makes 18 percent more than a NSW first year grad.”

Ms Cooper said the low wages and patient ratios were taking their toll on nurses and midwives.

“They are burnt out and stressed.

“We are seeing a big exodus out of NSW Health with nurses and midwives going interstate or leaving the profession all together.

“In the period of 22-23, there were 2.8 million hours of overtime worked by nurses and midwives.

“This is obviously not cost effective.”

In real terms, wages are sitting at 2008 levels, while staff are dealing with the cost of living in 2024, Ms Cooper said.

Branch President Amanda Bailey-Derrett said this is on top of working unsociable hours, including nights, weekends and holidays.

“I have mothers and babies’ lives in my hands every day,” she said.

“I have completed four years of university education as well as countless more courses to maintain my skills and knowledge.

“The pressures of the job are immense and yet I still get paid less than a lollipop traffic controller.

“The working conditions are what is forcing our senior, skilled health professionals to look for work elsewhere.

“We’re seeing budget cuts in our district which our members say are impacting their ability to provide safe patient care.

“The pressure is too much so they’re leaving.”

Intensive Care Unit nurse and local Coffs businessman Htun Htun Oo told NOTA that in NSW, the morale of nurses and midwives has been significantly impacted by several factors.

These include stressful working conditions, the rising cost of living, high patient loads and inadequate staffing, burnout, and financial strain from bills and mortgage payments.

“As many are aware, under the previous LNP state government, wages were capped, limiting the financial growth of many workers,” said Htun Htun.

“We remain hopeful that the NSWNMA and the Minns government will reach a favourable agreement to further benefit workers and acknowledge their invaluable contributions.”

The mood of the rallying hospital staff was that while they understand the NSW State government has limited funds, increasing the healthcare budget and wages for nurses and midwives is an investment that benefits everyone, including the public, the government, and healthcare workers.

By Andrea FERRARI