THE New South Wales nurses' union says it has closed hospital beds in Wollongong and will continue with bed closures across NSW unless its demands for mandated nurse-to-patient care ratios are met.

The NSW Nurses' Association says it has been locked in intense negotiations with the State Government since November, when thousands of nurses across the state walked off the job demanding a one-to-four ratio of nurses to patients in NSW hospitals.

The federation's acting general secretary, Judith Kiejda, said the union had begun closing beds from 7am (AEDT) today to demonstrate to the Government the importance of higher nurse staffing levels.

Ms Kiedja said the Health Department routinely closed hospital beds during any holiday period and the union had decided to keep one in four of those beds closed.

Twenty-six beds had been closed so far at Wollongong Hospital, she said.But emergency and intensive care beds would not be affected, nor would pediatrics, maternity or oncology wards.

"It's silly to say that nobody will be affected because, quite frankly, those less-urgent situations will be affected," Ms Kiejda said.

"This is our last ditch effort to get the government to understand that there is something inherently wrong with the health system."









Originally published as Beds shut as nurses walk