'Eventually somebody will die': Nurses sound warning over cuts

Frontline nurses have warned conditions for patients and staff in Northland hospitals are deteriorating rapidly — and fear Government cutbacks on staffing may cost someone their life.

Whangārei Hospital emergency department nurse Rachel Thorn said the hospital was regularly "tipping from code red into code black", including at some point "most days" in the past fortnight.

Code black refers to a hospital emergency department being completely overwhelmed.

She said she got into nursing to care for people but it was a very difficult task lately.

"I still love it, otherwise I wouldn't be there. But it's very challenging."

Thorn said New Zealand Nursing Organisation (NZNO) delegates like her were "upset and angry" about "austerity measures" from the Government and its effect on staff.

"It's not just about the hospitals, the district nurses are short-staffed and therefore they're not able to get to their patients [who] need care. They're suggesting that possibly 20 patients a day might not be getting the care they're supposed to have ... they're not getting timely care, they're not getting the best care."

Some were also sent to hospitals for care due to this, when they could stay at home, Thorn said.

She said it put people at risk of infection and deterioration.

"I think we're all feeling that eventually somebody will die as a result of these measures."

Thorn said staff were being moved around like "chess pieces", including to areas in which they were not trained - including in mental health services.

"They're not trained, they don't have the de-escalation skills. They're just expected to manage. "It's not safe for the patients or the staff."

She said one nurse sent to a mental health ward asked what to do if "somebody comes at me".

"They said 'just run' - that was their advice."

Thorn said while the Government insisted its public service cuts would not affect the frontline, in her view the staffing shortages were evidence it was, saying some vacancies were not being filled.

She said support services — not necessarily on the frontline — were also still important to enable frontline staff to do their work.

"Putting a freeze on recruitment is not the way to get good healthcare, and it's certainly putting patients at risk."

Night shift nurse Rosamund Harvey said it was a similar picture at Bay of Islands Hospital.

"We never know what to expect when we go to work at night. Our ED (emergency department) is overflowing, it's sort of becoming unsafe as we only have one doctor on at night and it's becoming even a lot for them, as well as the nurses in ED. Our ward's generally full and patients are having to stay in ED overnight because we don't have the bed space.

"When we're short-staffed it just puts pressure on us, our patient load increases - nine or 10 patients - and we can't give that quality of care, and I'm scared something's going to happen."

She said about four patients, maximum, was the limit to provide an ideal level of care.

"They're rescuing Shortland Street but they're not rescuing us."

Both Harvey and Thorn are NZNO delegates.

Labour health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall said the Health Minister Dr Shane Reti had "pulled the rug out" from under Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora — resulting in short-staffing and unfilled vacancies.

But Reti said that in April and May "at least 1000" nurses were recruited by Health New Zealand, and he had an assurance from the organisation patients and staff were safe in Northland.

"I also listen to all my frontline colleagues — I would be foolish not to — but I also seek reassurances from my officials and that's the assurance that they've given me."