Hawke's Bay Hospital is coping halfway through a five-day junior doctors' strike. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay Hospital is coping halfway through a five-day junior doctors' strike. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay Hospital is coping well halfway through a five-day junior doctors' strike, but the Hawke's Bay District Health Board is still advising people to avoid the Emergency Department when possible.
Executive director provider services Colin Hutchison says the hospital is very busy.
"Hospital services are coping thanks to thehard work of staff, especially senior doctors covering the shifts of junior doctors.
"We continue to ask people to please leave the Emergency Department for emergencies only and to seek non-urgent medical help from medical centres, pharmacies or HealthLine, which is available 24/7 on 0800 611 116.
"We apologise to people who have had appointments or surgeries postponed. Those people will have their appointments rescheduled as soon as we are can."
The strike began on Monday at 8am, and will not finish until Saturday at 8am.
Junior doctors are striking due to a failure between the 20 District Health Boards and the Resident Doctors Association to agree on proposed changes to employment contracts.
The DHBs want chief executives to have the final sign-off over employment arrangements, rosters and hours.
