MUMN declares industrial dispute over ‘unsafe’ staffing levels in Mater Dei children’s ward

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) has declared an industrial dispute with Mater Dei Hospital over what it describes as unsafe staffing practices in the paediatric Wonderland Ward, warning that the current situation puts vulnerable children and nurses at risk.

In a statement, the union said it has been raising concerns for six months about understaffing in Wonderland, which houses six more critical care beds than the neighbouring Disneyland paediatric ward despite having the same number of nurses assigned.

MUMN accused nursing management of repeatedly refusing to allocate additional dedicated staff to the ward, and instead relying at times on nurses from the relieve pool who lack paediatric experience. This, it said, has created a “chaotic patch-work” system that ignores the concerns of the ward’s specialist nurses.

The union said the added strain on experienced paediatric nurses is leading to burnout and creating a “serious risk” to the health and safety of children in the ward. It also warned of legal exposure for nurses who are being made responsible for patient loads that do not meet recognised safety standards.

“There have been instances where no appropriately trained nurses were available,” MUMN said, adding that the refusal to acknowledge the ward’s heavier critical-care burden amounts to “stubbornness and arrogance” from hospital management.

MUMN said its repeated calls for meetings and staffing changes have been ignored, prompting the decision to escalate the matter. The union will issue directives on Wednesday 3 December, which it stressed will not impact patient care but are intended to protect both children and nurses from the consequences of what it argues is an unsafe system.