A second strike by junior doctors in Northland will force the rescheduling of appointments for elective surgery and outpatient clinics.
Photo/John Stone
A second strike by junior doctors in Northland will force the rescheduling of appointments for elective surgery and outpatient clinics.
Photo/John Stone
Some patients booked for surgery at public hospitals in Northland will be displaced by higher priority cases as a result of another strike by junior doctors.
The strike action today and tomorrow follows failed mediation talks last week between the doctors, who belong to the New Zealand Resident Doctors Association(NZRDA), and the Northland District Health Board.
About 86, or nearly 72 per cent, of the 120 junior doctors working in Whangārei, Bay of Islands, Kaitaia and Dargaville hospitals will stop work for the second time today.
Their first strike was two weeks ago and the Northland DHB was forced to reschedule 24 appointments for elective surgery and a further 115 for outpatients clinics including surgical, medical, paediatric, maternity and cancer.
A similar number of appointments are expected to be rescheduled this week.
Northland DHB associate chief medical officer, Dr Jennifer Walker, said the strike coincided with the end of a long weekend and would further impact on hospital services.
"We now need to re-prioritise our schedules and some patients booked for surgery will be displaced by higher priority cases that have been delayed over the strike period," she said.
Hemi Enright is one of about 86 junior doctors who will participate in a 48-hour strike starting this morning.
Photo/John Stone
Dr Walker said as Northland's population increased significantly during summer holidays and long weekends, so did presentations to hospital emergency department and other acute services.
Many junior doctors chose to work during the long weekend as they did not belong to NZRDA, she said.
Our extensive contingency planning has carefully considered the provision of emergency and life preserving services during the strike period and the on-going impacts for both patients and staff.
Whangārei junior doctor Hemi Enright fears the possibility of working up to 12 days straight if the dispute between his union and the Northland District Health Board remains unresolved.
Enright, who started work in the Whangārei Hospital's surgical unit two months ago, said the push was to preserve the existing clauses in his employment agreement.
"Having already worked my first 10-day shift, I felt pretty exhausted at the end of that so I feel doing 12 days straight would be physically demanding,'' he said.
NZRDA senior advocate David Munro said among a number of suggestions to resolve the impasse was an offer by junior doctors was a change to the safer hours provision that would allow for more flexible rostering.
The Northland DHB is advising people with minor injuries to seek alternative care through their GP, local pharmacist or call Healthline on 0800 611 116.
Healthline calls are answered by registered nurses who offer free health advice 24 hours a day.
