United Voice News
Enrolled nurse is star of anti-privatisation adverts
Enrolled nurse Ida Fragomeni will become a familiar face in Western Australia because she is one of the real life stars of a new media campaign about the threat of privatisation in WA hospitals and schools.
The LHMU member from Bayswater features in a new television advert which debuted on Sunday and in a series of newspaper adverts which began this week.
The TV ad shows Ida and other health workers like patient care assistants, allied health professionals and administrative staff, hard at work in a WA public hospital.
The million dollar campaign has been devised by LHMU and the HSU to fight the Barnett government’s plan to privatise our schools and hospitals.
The media campaign follows on from the recent tabling in Parliament of Labor’s anti-privatisation Bill. If passed, the Bill will make it illegal for the Barnett government to privatise hospitals and schools.
So far the Barnett government has said it wants to privatise the new Fiona Stanley Hospital, Midland Health Campus, Albany Health Campus and the new Children’s hospital which will replace Princess Margaret hospital.
Ida, who works at Royal Perth Hospital Shenton Park Campus, said: “I’m incredibly proud to be part of the campaign against privatisation because it’s something I feel very strongly about.
“I worked at Royal Perth Hospital when the cleaning and catering services were privatised and I remember all too well how it affected our work and had an adverse affect on patient care.
“The cleaning and catering firms used less staff and so less was done which meant we all had extra duties to squeeze into our days.
“The hospitals weren’t cleaned properly, there was cross contamination and then we had to deal with outbreaks of superbugs like MRSA and VRE.
“I’m deeply concerned that if the government tries something like that again history could repeat itself, affecting our jobs and the well-being of the patients we look after.”
Ida added that she was a little nervous about being recognised in the adverts but was also chuffed that she was playing her part in the campaign.
Dave Kelly, secretary of the LHMU, said: “Ida is one of several workers who knows only too well that privatisation just doesn’t work in hospitals so it’s particularly apt that she’s got a starring role.
“By privatising services in hospitals, like it plans to do at Fiona Stanley, the government will undermine the great team work between doctors, nurses, cleaners and other health support staff who work together to provide high standards of care.
“If they’re all going to be working for different bosses, these workers won’t be so well integrated and patient care will inevitably suffer.”
