Strikes by nurses at Sydney hospitals cancelled at last minute

A planned strike today by hundreds of nurses and midwives at a Sydney private hospital has been cancelled at the last minute.

Staff at the Northern Beaches Hospital in Frenchs Forest, run by private operator Healthscope, were due to walk off the job this morning as part of industrial action across six Sydney hospitals.

But the Fair Work Commission at 7am today ruled strikes at Penrith, Campbelltown, Bella Vista, Liverpool, Randwick and at Frenchs Forest could not proceed.

READ MORE: Grieving parents demand investigation into Sydney hospital after death of two-year-old son

Staff at Northern Beaches Hospital have previously voiced concerns about long wait times and alleged medical mishaps highlighted this week by the devastating death of a two-year-old boy last September.

A review released yesterday found Joe Massa should have been treated within 10 minutes at Northern Beaches Hospital, but instead was left waiting 2.5 hours just for a bed.

When he was given one, the boy not hooked up to a heart machine monitor or to an IV drip.

The toddler had hypovolemia, a condition that occurs when the body loses too much fluid.

READ MORE: 'Living in fantasy land': Ex-PM's stinging Trump rebuke

His parents allege Northern Beaches Hospital failed their son "at every level" and he would be alive today were it not for the improper care he received.

A serious adverse event review conducted by the hospital after Joe's death identified multiple failures. The report found there was a "delay and failure to recognise deterioration" in Joe's health.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the situation was "every parent's worst nightmare", and refused to rule out further reviews into Joe's death.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.