About 100 nurses, hospital staff and supporters held a lunchtime rally outside Newcastle’s Mater Hospital on January 28. They were protesting inadequate patient and staff safety.
Non-clinical services are operated as a public private partnership (PPP) by the Novacare consortium and NSW Health.
Dee, a registered nurse and Nurses and Midwives Association member, told Green Left that the PPPs tend to prioritise profit over patient care. This has lead to maintenance failures, such as mould in the air-conditioning system and inadequate pest control — illustrated by a maggot infestation in the haematology ward.
