Senior doctors at Gisborne Hospital are striking for 24 hours on Thursday. Photo / Liam Clayton
Senior doctors at Gisborne Hospital are striking for 24 hours on Thursday. Photo / Liam Clayton
Last-ditch mediation has failed between a senior doctors’ union and Health NZ, so Gisborne Hospital is preparing for a 24-hour strike on Thursday.
Local senior doctors will later hold a public meeting on the state of the hospital and healthcare.
A Health New Zealand officialsays the strike action is disappointing and will affect more than 4300 planned procedures but says those currently in hospital will still get the care they need.
The doctors hope for strong public support as they express concern for low staffing levels, patient safety and better pay.
“The situation has reached the point where you have to say what needs to be said,” Dr Alex Raines of Gisborne Hospital told the Gisborne Herald.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) has confirmed up to 5500 senior doctors across New Zealand will walk off the job for 24 hours (from midnight) after pay negotiations stalled.
The ASMS union sought a 12% pay increase but originally received a Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora offer of between 1 and 1.5%.
This week Health NZ increased its offer to 3% over two years for most doctors with a lump sum payment of $8000 for doctors with three or more years’ experience.
Executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Sarah Dalton.
ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said little was being done to address worsening staffing gaps in hospitals.
Shortages at regional hospitals in Gisborne, as well as at Nelson, were at crisis levels, she said.
Paediatrician Carol Chan, Gisborne branch president of ASMS, recently told the Gisborne Herald there was a 44% vacancy rate among senior doctors at Gisborne Hospital.
Raines rejected figures provided by Health Minister Simeon Brown that Gisborne Hospital had received 8.2 fulltime equivalent senior medical officers since August.
Only one of the doctors was a new and permanent doctor, he said.
ASMS communications adviser Andrew Chick told the Gisborne Herald that 86.55% of voters backed the 24-hour strike.
The official result was 2833 doctors voted for the strike while 477 doctors voted against it.
That was a 55.97% voter turnout through all public hospitals.
Chick said senior doctors would ensure life-preserving services were maintained.
Health New Zealand chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan said he was disappointed by the industrial action.
The strike would cause the cancellation of about 4300 planned procedures, or first specialist appointments, alongside the postponement of thousands of radiology procedures, he said.
Health NZ’s chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan. Photo / Alyse Wright
A Health NZ statement said hospitals and healthcare services would continue to provide acute and emergency care throughout the strike with the help of other clinical staff.
Anyone staying in hospital during the strikes would still receive the care and support they needed.
