A Blacktown Hospital spokeswoman said members of the district’s executive leadership team met with representatives from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association to discuss staffing concerns on Thursday.
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Members of the union's sub-branch held an extraordinary meeting at the hospital at 3pm to discuss the district's offer,which they knocked back before voting to strike due to a"lack of confidence"the extra staff numbers would be delivered.
"They're angry,they're hurting and they're burnt out,"a union spokeswoman said.
Between 130 and 150 midwives and nurses from across the hospital walked off the job for 24 hours shortly after 4pm on Thursday.
The striking staff members included nurses from operating theatres and general medical wards who walked off the job in a show of support for their colleagues,the spokeswoman said.
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"The hospital is still open and functioning but they've decided to take this action because of the situation becoming so untenable."
The Blacktown Hospital spokeswoman said:"While the district maintains staffing resources are allocated appropriately in line with relevant regulatory frameworks,discussions were held in good faith about the immediate recruitment of additional staff.
"Our priority is first and foremost patient care and safety. We remain committed to supporting our midwives and responding to their concerns."
Mr Holmes said earlier this week staffing conditions at the hospital were dire and unsafe for midwives and patients,increasing the risk of more tragedies.
"Many of these midwives no longer feel supported,despite repeatedly raising their concerns with hospital management,"he said.
"Not only are they burning out with fatigue,many of the midwives have been traumatised by tragic deaths and believe the staffing issue has become untenable,putting their clinical registrations at risk."
Mr Holmes wrote to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Tuesday night asking him urgently to intervene.
Since 2015,births at Blacktown Hospital have increased 52.3 per cent,while staffing has risen 11.5 per cent over the same period,based on Birthrate Plus figures.
Mr Holmes previously said midwives were being rostered for multiple day and night shifts of up to 64 hours over seven days despite 56 hours being the maximum allowed,as well as increasing workloads.
Last week,Mr Hazzard’s meetings with representatives of the obstetricians and senior health bureaucrats led to the local health district agreeing to designate an operating theatre for emergency caesarean sections and other obstetric and gynaecology procedures.
With Kate Aubusson
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