In response to Premier Mark McGowan’s refusal to implement nurse-to-patient ratios, thousands of nurses will walk off the job tomorrow between 11am and 2:30pm.

Janet Reah, Australian Nursing Federation WA Secretary told Oliver Peterson on Perth Live that the number of bookings online for the strike continue to climb, where she believes they will exceed 2,000 people.

“I have written to the health minister again today to ask the government to put in some measures to reduce activity and demand on the services during the period of strike tomorrow such as postponing elective surgeries, getting extra staff in from other areas and scaling back clinical appointments,” Ms Reah told Oly.

“Our message to the public is to be aware that the staffing at all public hospitals will be affected. It is a regrettable but necessary disruption, unfortunately because the government has not made an offer to the nurses at all and we find it quite disrespectful at this point.”

Nurses in WA are asking for a $3000 cost-of-living payment paid to all their public sector nurses and midwives and a commitment to nurse-to patient-ratios, Ms Reah highlighted that the government has offered neither.

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