Nurses make an urgent cry for help, as they protest a lack of safe nurse-to-patient ratios at emergency departments, at Blacktown hospital in Sydney's west.
Staff are resigning daily, according to Blacktown nurses, a sentiment echoed at Westmead hospital in Sydney's west where staff also walked out in protest this morning.
They say the pressure of confronting ratios of one nurse to 40 patient on some nights is well exceeding the one-to-three patient ratio required to safely do their job.
Delegate of Blacktown Nurses Midwife Association, Jess, says nurses are understaffed and under immense pressure.
Westmead hospital nurse Danny Anderson works in the emergency department and says there are a lack of beds for critically ill patients, with a wait time of up to 20 hours.
Some patients are even being cared for in corridors and waiting rooms, and others are sleeping on the floor overnight, he says.
Mr Anderson fears the situation will only worsen as the winter peak of COVID cases approaches, expected around mid-August, according to COVID modelling.
Queensland are also seeing serious staff shortages with an average of up to seven per cent of staff unable to work due to sickness.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says hospitals are unable to keep up with the influx of COVID and flu patients.
South Australia's health system is suffering a similar strain due to the latest Omicron wave and ongoing ambulance ramping.
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