Royal Prince Alfred hospital management pauses cuts across women and babies unit after protests
On Tuesday, dozens of midwives and other clinical staff held a snap rally outside RPA, one of the city's major tertiary hospitals, claiming that management's decision to reduce the number of midwives rostered on to the birthing unit risked the lives of mothers and babies.
Guardian Australia understands that late on Thursday, hospital management reached an agreement with staff to pause the cuts and revert back to previous staffing levels across the birthing unit, effective immediately, while discussions continued between management and staff.
Midwives were called in to fill extra shifts, or stay late on the afternoon shift on Thursday, in order to bring numbers back up to previous levels.
One RPA midwife, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said: 'We're all so relieved that the cuts have been paused. There's been a lot of uncertainty in the past week … which has taken a toll on everyone.
'We're all hoping that a fair and safe roster can be negotiated in the coming weeks.'
On 1 July, 20 full-time equivalent roles were removed from across the women and babies service at RPA, including five from the midwifery group practice (MGP).
The New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA) said that while no jobs would be lost as a result, vacant positions would not be filled and fewer casual staff will be brought in, as a result of the changes.
The new plan would mean fewer midwives rostered on to each shift in the labour ward and birth centre, said the NSWNMA, a drop from 26 midwives rostered on across day, afternoon and night shifts each day, to 18 midwives across the three shifts.
'This is not safe,' claimed NSWNMA president O'Bray Smith on Tuesday. 'This is about saving lives, having safe staffing. The midwives are absolutely terrified of what could happen here.'
On Tuesday, NSW health minister, Ryan Park, said that no one at RPA would be losing their job, but midwives were being 'redeployed in other parts of maternity services' due to 'a slight reduction in birthrates at RPA'.
Park added that the state government used a model called Birthrate Plus to determine the level of staffing in birthing and maternity services, a model that he said had been endorsed by the NSWNMA.
The union previously endorsed the Birthrate Plus model, but has for a number of years called for its review and the implementation of 1:3 staff ratios.
The NSWNMA and RPA have been contacted for comment, but did not respond before time of publication.
The health minister's office was also contacted for comment.
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