Uniform nightmare at FSH

Wednesday 25 Mar 2015

A member survey at Fiona Stanley Hospital has revealed alarming details about the hospital's uniforms for Allied Health staff.

Most staff have been given an insufficient supply of uniforms and the polyester-blend fabric is causing excessive sweating, leading some staff to suffer from skin reactions and infections.

Many of our members have also reported their concerns about their profession being emblazoned across their shirts and the implications this has for confidentiality and patient well-being.

The union wanted to get a solid understanding of these concerns so surveyed all the Allied Health staff at FSH.

We were absolutely shocked by the results. Staff raised a litany of issues, and told us they were threatened with disciplinary action if they refused to wear the uniform.

The HSUWA has sought an urgent response from FSH Executive Director.

Getting a hospital of this size and complexity up and running from scratch is no small endeavour and issues are bound to arise.

Staffing, process and technology issues were anticipated by everyone, but serious problems with uniforms was one issue we did not see coming.

We will keep members informed as this issue progresses.