There are no signs a dispute between Dubbo Hospital workers and the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) is any closer to being resolved.
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Represented by the Health Services Union (HSU), the workers — most of whom are employed as health and security assistants or hospital assistants — are refusing to sanitise or make beds after patients have been discharged.
They want more staff employed to do this job and claim making beds means they have to cut corners and not perform tasks they were originally employed to do – a claim the WNSWLHD disputes.
"The WNSWLHD has not contacted the HSU organiser, or assistant manager, or even the industrial officer, since the original meeting held on March 14," Deputy HSU Public Health Manager Cindy Paull told the Daily Liberal on Thursday.
"This is despite [the WNSWLHD] advising they would get back to us."
Ms Paull said the only HSU members sanitising beds were those employed as bed-makers.
"The nursing staff are doing this and have been since the industrial action was taken [on March 14]," she said.
"There have been no meetings as the WNSWLHD have not requested any meetings since the above meeting was held where the WNSWLHD advised they would respond as we had been unable to reach a resolution of any sort."
On Friday after the Daily Liberal made an inquiry, a WNSWLHD spokesperson claimed the organisation was "consulting with the HSU to resolve the issue".
"In the meantime, the sanitisation of beds at the hospital continues to be undertaken by other staff to ensure safe, high-quality care for patients at all times," the spokesperson said.
