MORE than 70 Gawler Health Service nurses and midwives have protested outside the hospital and along Lyndoch Road as part of a state-wide series of industrial actions taken by their union.

Between 2pm and 3pm on Monday, nurses and midwives employed by the Gawler Health Service wore purple and held a strike, calling for better patient and working conditions and a 3.5 per cent pay rise.

The 75 workers walked from the hospital to nearby Lyndoch Road, where they chanted and displayed signs and flags to passing motorists.

A Gawler Health Service nurse, who did not wish to be named, said the staff striking on Monday wanted safe staffing levels and better security for nurses and midwives.

“At the moment, we can actually have any staffing levels for patient numbers,” the nurse said.

“In our emergency department, the increase in population is becoming a major issue.

“We actually have 15,000 presentations on average, per year, to our emergency departments.

“Previously, state governments have said it should be 1000 presentations per bed; we run at a unit which has approximately six beds – we’re more than double what is the state standard.

“Our staff want quality care for patients who come in to our hospital and we can’t give that quality care if the government isn’t willing to give us safe staffing numbers.”

The Australian Nurses and Midwives Federation (ANMF) South Australia and the State Government have been locked in a stalemate since June over the industry’s next enterprise bargaining agreement.

The union commenced strike action last Monday, when nurses and midwives at the Lyell McEwin Hospital were the first to take industrial action.

During the Gawler Health Service strike, one hospital patient, Lyndoch resident Peter Visser, joined the nurses and midwives in their protest.

He said the State Government should put patient care first and listen to the union’s demands.

“Money seems to be driving the process, not patient care, and that needs to change.

“What they (nurses and midwives) are about is improving their conditions so they can work and do their professional job and give good patient care, which is what should be driving the State  Government.

“They (the State Government) should start off with good patient care, then let the money follow whatever those care needs are.

“It shouldn’t be cut first, and then within the cut, try somehow to get some sort of patient care.”

The union has vowed to continue industrial action until it reaches an agreement with the State Government.