New Zealand doctors are pressured to be "superheroes" as they routinely turn up to work sick - some even admitting they have an infectious illness when treating patients.
A study conducted by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) in September this year, found there was a strong sense of "presenteeism", where medical professionals turned up to work unwell, fatigued or stressed in order to be productive at work.
The study found 88 per cent of senior doctors and dentists often or sometimes went to work while unwell during a 24-month period, while 75 per cent of medical professionals went to work while unwell with an infectious illness over the same period.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell said sick medical professionals were the ones that needed to be "tucked up in bed at home or, in the worst cases, in a hospital bed".
"The fact they're forcing themselves to go into work, often to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing, let alone that of their patients, reflects the immense pressure that doctors and other health professionals are under to keep the public health system functioning," he said.
The survey found doctors attributed their presenteeism to a strong sense of duty to patients and colleagues, already booked clinic and theatre sessions, and didn't want to burden their colleagues.
A doctor who participated in the survey said there was a strong "superhero culture where SMOs [senior medical officers] are expected to work when sick, and thought to need sleep".
"Recently I tried to challenge our culture of working despite being sick, and was told by my colleagues that if the SMOs stayed at home when they were sick there would be no one to look after the patients," the doctor said.
Another doctor said they "didn't feel like" they could call in sick.
"It was the middle of winter, a super busy time for our department and I kept thinking, 'I am not too bad, put it this way, I am not needing ICU [Intensive Care Unit] so?'," they said.
Labour Party's health spokesperson Annette King said these statistics should ring alarm bells.
"Our medical professionals are doing their best, but when your best means you could be compromising patient care, then something's got to change, and soon," she said.
Medical professionals were vital to a well-functioning health system, Ms King said.
"...yet we have DHBs around the country choosing not to replace medical staff or fill non-clinical vacancies in an attempt to hit Government targets and reduce deficits," she said.
Properly investing in the heath sector, rather than a $1.7 billion cut over six years, would help to address this problem, she said.