Spend the night at RHH

LAST Tuesday at 8.10pm I presented at the RHH accident and emergency ward with a severe glass cut to the base of my right little finger. Within 10 minutes I was placed in a cubicle and within 30 minutes, three doctors and three nurses diagnosed the severity of the wound. I was advised I would be admitted to a ward when a bed became available. I was constantly monitored despite the staff obviously being extremely busy. At 3am I was placed in a bed and told I would be operated on later that morning. At 7.30am the doctor told me it would be a 3-4 hour operation and would start once a theatre became available. At 12.20pm I was taken to theatre. After recovery I was discharged 24 hours after being admitted. The care and attention from all staff was second to none.

These men and women (the majority were young) work long hours, are underpaid and continue to work with a smile on their face. The nurse who wheeled me out to be collected was finishing a nine-day roster including double shifts. The A&E staff don’t receive enough praise, we generally only hear about the nasty stories. They are subjected to verbal and physical abuse from alcohol and drug affected patients, which I viewed and heard. I challenge anyone with political influence to spend 12 hours in A&E between the hours of 8pm and 8pm and experience the conditions staff have to work under.

Women over 55

MEMBERS of the National Council of Women of Tasmania are concerned with the low Newstart payment. Now is the time for the Government to increase it. It has not been increased since 1994 except for small CPI increases. The allowance of $280 a week is not sustainable to pay rent, food and also be proactive in looking for employment. One group particularly disadvantaged is women over 55. They are too young to go onto a pension but are unable to find full time employment because their age can be a disadvantage. Women