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Bendigo Health has proceeded with staffing changes in its Department of Anaesthesia, despite the concerns of staff.
Acute health executive director Robyn Lindsay said the transition to the new model was smooth.
Anaesthetic technicians with more than 100 years of collective experience were demoted to theatre technicians, and replaced with anaesthetic nurses.
Ms Lindsay said the technicians were all at work on Monday.
“Many of the staff are juggling provision of clinical care in theatre and engaging really excitedly in training across the road, at the new hospital,” she said.
“We’ve got some additional staff in so we can both continue to provide services safely at the existing site and also do training.”
Shadow Minister for Health Mary Wooldridge was contacted by a hospital worker on the same day, pleading for her to take action.
“They are putting inexperienced staff in positions that will put the local community at risk in an emergency,” the worker said.
Ms Lindsay sought to reassure the public the new model was “very safe” and aligned with the model of care “in all adult care facilities” across Victoria.
“We are very confident it is the model of care that is best for the Bendigo community,” she said.
Bendigo Health said it had seven anaesthetic nurses, with five additional nurses starting in January.
Ms Wooldridge called for Health Minister Jill Hennessy to respond to the situation.
“If the vital issue of patient safety can’t get the minister’s attention, what can?” she said.
Ms Hennessy said she was advised Bendigo Health had supported the affected staff and made every effort to manage the transition in the interests of the staff.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation was also supportive of Bendigo Health’s decision to transition to an anaesthetic nurse model in its theatres.
“The model has been the subject of detailed discussions and consultations for the past 18 months,” the union said in a statement.
Leaders of Bendigo anaesthetic craft-group warned the Bendigo Health management and board the staffing change would result in “grossly inadequate” numbers of trained anaesthesia nurses and put patient safety at risk.
“Whilst the Department of Anaesthesia supports the move from a medical technician-assistant model to a nurse-assistant model, we are concerned with the rapidity in progression proposed by management,” written correspondence states.
They suggested a gradual transition to the new model.
A former department director called the situation dangerous.
“In a real critical situation, you want people who know their job backwards,” they said.
“These people are unfamiliar with the surroundings and a lot of them aren’t properly trained.”
Ms Lindsay said Bendigo Health’s anaesthetic nurses had all undertaken an undergraduate nursing degree.
“On top of this tertiary qualification they also adhere to the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists position statement in relation to the educational and practical components for anaesthetic nurses,” she said.
“These guidelines ensure the anaesthetic nurses assisting the anaesthetists are trained to the highest standard to deliver world class health care.
“Many have also completed, or are in the process of completing, a post graduate qualification in peri-anaesthesia nursing.”
She said the former anaesthetic technicians were offered opportunities to attain a nursing qualification.
But Ms Wooldridge was informed the technicians did not view it as a viable option, as many were the main bread-winners for their families.
It was believed they would be paid less as graduate nurses than they were previously to do the same job.
Ms Lindsay said all eight equivalent full-time staff chose to become theatre technicians.