SATSE warns of the risk to newborns due to the lack of nurses in neonatology at Son Espases
The union denounces that neonatology has reached 16 patients with a ratio of one nurse for every three NICU babies and warns of the accumulation of overtime hours and the denial of leave
PalmaThe SATSE nursing union reported this Tuesday the "serious situation" this summer in the maternity and pediatric area of the Son Espases University Hospital due to staff shortages, and accused IB-Salut of "putting the safety of nurses and children at risk." According to the union, the lack of professionals leads to overtime, denial of leave, and growing exhaustion among workers.
In the case of the neonatology service, which has 12 beds, occupancy has reached up to 16 patients this summer, without an increase in the number of nurses. This has caused the ratio to drop from one nurse per two neonatal ICU patients — the usual proportion, according to SATSE — to one per three. The union states that, at times, the workload has reached 50%.
"The team is exhausted and desperate"
SATSE also denounces that there are shifts uncovered due to the lack of specialized professionals. Faced with this situation, it is the nurses themselves who have to take on the uncovered shifts, which leads to the accumulation of overtime hours and the denial of personal leave.
"The service's nursing team is exhausted and desperate due to a situation that has been ongoing for months," the union points out. SATSE warns that the excess of working hours and the worsening of ratios constitute "the perfect cocktail to put at risk the clinical safety of the neonatal infant and the health of the professionals who care for them." The situation, according to the union, also affects the delivery service and the maternity ward. Currently, there are nine midwife positions uncovered, almost 20% of the staff.
Professionals considering leaving the Balearic Islands
SATSE assures that several professionals have requested transfers to other autonomous communities and that others expect to leave the Balearic Islands in the coming months due to a situation they consider "unsustainable". The union links this decision to both working conditions and the rising cost of living and housing in the Islands.
The organization has transferred the existing risk in these services to the Committee for Safety and Health and does not rule out going to court if a solution is not found.
SATSE accuses IB-Salut and the Ministry of Health of maintaining an "complacent" attitude and of "looking the other way", and criticizes the lack of measures to attract and retain professionals from other communities. The union already announces a "tough mobilization campaign" for the autumn due to the lack of responses and measures for attracting and retaining professionals. SATSE also criticizes the Administration for making the collective of nurses and physiotherapists invisible while, according to them, publishing "confusing and sometimes outright false figures" on professional hiring.
