The ANMF Attend Tasmanian Industrial Commission Due to Safe Staffing Failure

September 2025

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch will today attending the Tasmanian Industrial Commission after lodging a dispute against the Tasmanian Health Service for failing to ensure safe staffing on a surgical ward at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

ANMF Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said this failure has resulted in adverse impacts on surgical patients with members highlighting evidence of malnutrition in their patients due to the inability of staff being able to attend to all patients who require assistance with meals.

“This is the first time in many members careers as nurses that this has been witnessed among patients that they are providing care to,” Ms Shepherd said.

“It is appalling that benchmarked minimum staffing levels have not been met on K9West at the Royal Hobart Hospital and that this has led to malnutrition in patients on a surgical ward.

“This is solely due to the failure to fill the 58.5 hours of assistant in nursing positions from the agreed benchmarking process in October 2024.”

Ms Shepherd said despite ongoing communication and escalation of patient safety concerns and family complaints to management by members, the Tasmanian Health Service have still not filled the agreed additional assistant in nursing roles which they agreed were required in October 2024.

“In essence, this means that the ward has been required to work below the minimum safe staffing levels that the Tasmania Health Service themselves agreed in October last year was required to ensure the safety of staff but importantly patients.

“The ANMF today will again seek the assistance of the Industrial Commission in upholding the industrially agreed requirements of the Tasmanian Government to provide a safe working environment and safe staffing levels to ensure safe and quality patient care.

“This should be a straightforward process and one that is prioritised by the Department of Health and the Tasmania Health Service, and if it is indeed a budget saving strategy, then the Department and THS should articulate that transparently and advise what strategies they intend to employ to address the adverse impact on our members and their unsafe workloads and importantly improve patient care.”

Ms Shepherd said the ANMF will provide an update post their Industrial Commission attendance today as to what matters have been discussed at the Industrial Commission and what, if any, outcomes have been achieved.

“The ANMF has been clear that should the matter not be solved in conciliation that they will seek directions to be set out by the President to proceed to arbitration.”