ADHSU PTO Delegates met with HealthShare on Monday 30 January to discuss the bans on single officers after dark. HealthShare produced a five-point plan to address the problem, but when pushed they were unable to explain how it would be implemented or how far advanced it was.

This is not the first time HealthShare has failed to address member concerns. The request to seek approval from the Aged Care Minister’s office on lifting the sensible red-green-red ban has still not been addressed. 

As HealthShare could not address members’ major concerns, were unable to produce a safe alternative to single officers or share how they would protect staff, the current bans will remain. A reminder for all members that the bans are as follows:

• No PTOs rostered as a single officer will take on any jobs after 1800 and before 0600. Singles must be on their way back to base by 1800.  
• Single officers may complete inter-hospital and RACF to hospital transfers but MUST NOT go to residential addresses alone at ANY TIME.  
• ADDITIONALLY, the ban on red jobs after green are still in place. 

Again, the solution is simple, and union members know it better than most: safety in numbers. This incident that sparked this latest ban was a wake-up call, and ADHSU members will not stand idly by waiting for near misses to turn into something much worse.