Dr Timothy Hopgood: We will not compromise on safety

Many junior doctors around the country are on strike. Photo / Getty Images

Northland District Health Board chief executive officer Dr Nick Chamberlain's opinion piece (Advocate, January 5) regarding this current bargaining round between the New Zealand Resident Doctors Association and district health boards solidifies how detached our CEOs are from bargaining and the issues.

If his piece represents the views of the CEOs, then it's not surprising bargaining has ended up here.

It's a shame he also decided to focus on individuals rather than the issues. We acknowledge that he is entitled to his opinion. We would like to reply with our view.

1. It shows the utmost disrespect to a large group of your own employees, not to mention thousands of other doctors, when you liken us to a flock of sheep. Resident Medical Officers are educated, independent individuals who understand intimately the working conditions we are worried about, much more so than the CEOs. We make decisions in the best interests of ourselves and our patients. We strongly believe in collectivity and are members of a democratic union. You can trust that what our union says is representative of RMOs.

2. Strikes are the absolute last resort. The only reason we are striking is because there has been no safer offer than the status quo presented to RMOs without significant clawbacks alongside. Offering safer rosters in exchange for our right to vote on changes to our job description, a significant pay cut, and all without a commitment to hire the necessary relief staff is unacceptable. The fact union membership has increased during the strike period demonstrates how strongly we support safer working conditions.

3. Recent communications not only from yourself but in DHB media releases highlight how little you understand about what we are trying to achieve. You say you've met our "claim" - however, our claim was for safer rosters, rosters that work for the RMOs, the team, our training and service delivery.

These multiple factors are included in our proposals. The DHB offers and your comments about the potential results of the new rosters shows how little you know about the life of an RMO "on the floor" in a hospital, or what is on the table. Maybe if CEOs were truly committed to this issue, they would come to the bargaining table to understand the actual problems, and why your "solutions" are not solutions.

4. We have negotiated, we have moved, but we will not compromise on safety. Solutions need to be safer for ourselves and our patients. We are making our decisions based on real life consequences, not perceived ideas.

5. You are right, we come to work because we want to make a difference to the lives of our patients. We are so worried about the unintended consequences to the lives of these said patients with the offer you have made that we have chosen to strike over it. To be clear, it is your failure to offer safer solutions that has lead us to this strike.

As an end to this letter, we reflect on the bargaining process. We believe the way you decide to conduct negotiations is flawed with the people making the decisions for your team being absent from the bargaining table.

How can you expect to understand our issues when you're not prepared to hear and discuss them first-hand? We understand the way DHBs organise their bargaining is historic, and it's obviously a challenge for you to adapt.

However, we urge you to consider a more productive and efficient way to conduct your side of bargaining in the future.

- Dr Hopgood writes on the behalf of the NZRDA national executive and bargaining team.