Dr Erna Meyer loves her job but the workload has become too stressful for her and her colleagues. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Dr Erna Meyer loves her job but the workload has become too stressful for her and her colleagues. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Senior hospital doctors and dentists are asking for more staff and more money amid a workforce crisis that sees medical staff at the brink of burnout and patients on long waiting lists.
The trade union for senior doctors and dentists, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) have been negotiatinga 1.5 per cent pay rise with district health boards across the country since February with little success.
A meeting for the 180 ASMS members in Northland was held last month and the turnout was fantastic, ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said.
"We are asking for a very modest pay rise to simply reflect cost of living increases and inflation, but the DHBs continue to come back with a zero per cent increase.
"It is disappointing that the DHBs haven't brought anything to the bargaining table yet."
ASMS members earn more than $100,000 a year. Their salaries were frozen for three years by Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission as part of the Public Service Pay Guidance who want to lift salaries for low-paid staff instead.
The restraints came into place following a Cabinet decision that visible pay restraint in the public sector was "an appropriate response to the impact of Covid-19", the commission states on its website.
Dalton agreed that those who earn less needed the largest uplift.
"But no one should see their income go backwards in real terms."
According to a 2019 survey by ASMS, 39.1 per cent of senior doctors in Northland suffer from work-related burnout. Photo / Tania Whyte
The demands come as staffing shortages across the medical field place pressure on specialists who report fatigue and symptoms of burnout.
Kevin Snee, the DHB spokesperson in the negotiations with ASMS and Waikato DHB chief executive, countered that an offer was made and "it's nonsense untrue" to suggest that DHBs weren't working to address issues in the health system.
Snee said the Covid vaccine rollout, restrictions on overseas recruitment, negotiating constraints and funding pressures had "completed a perfect storm".
"In negotiations, we've offered a $5000 lump sum payment, plus a 1 per cent pay increase next year which is within the Government's employment relations expectations for the public sector."
The union, however, is claiming 1.5 per cent this year and a minimum of 2 per cent next year, plus increases in allowances including overtime rates.
"While our offer doesn't meet their demands, average total remuneration is $308,000, in addition to which SMOs [senior medical officers] have six weeks leave, time off for continuing education and the opportunity for paid sabbaticals," Snee said.
Seventy per cent of senior doctors would also get an automatic 3 per cent pay increase every year as they progress up their pay scale.
Dr Erna Meyer has been an anaesthetist at the Whangārei Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 14 years and is the ASMS representative for Northland. She says every year it is getting busier and she has less time for her patients.
"It was brilliant when I came here 14 years ago. But it has been on the decline since then.
"We are getting so far behind the workload that we don't know how to catch up."
She compared the ward to a war zone at times. More staff on all fronts was needed.
"In the last few years I had one colleague dying of suicide, one has serious mental health issues and one has left the medical field altogether."
Meyer said patient care was still on a high level, however, the staff is suffering under the immense workload while waiting lists for elective procedures are getting longer.
"Once they go through the door, patients receive excellent care. But it's about getting through the door in the first place.
ICU anaesthetist Dr Erna Meyer works at the Whangārei Hospital. Photo / Michael Cunningham
"There is a lack of political will to change our health system."
For years, politicians had put it in the too-hard basket.
When asked why senior doctors required a pay rise Meyer explained their work came "at a huge sacrifice for their families".
To become a senior doctor, New Zealanders have to study at least six years, followed by another 10 to 15 years of clinical training. This means doctors are well into their 30s before they receive the salary of a senior doctor.
According to an ASMS survey, the weekly workload for specialists is about 53.4 hours. Meyer says that is about right.
"We don't get anything served on a plate. Doctors work really hard for their salaries. We have unsociable working hours and there are huge limitations on interactions with friends and family."
Meyer said she would love to dedicate more time to her patients again as well as non-clinical duties such as training junior doctors and keeping up with current research.
Though she has time slots rostered for those purposes, they are often taken up by clinical work and administration.
Snee says to fix these problems, they needed to get past pay negotiations.
"Even if more SMOs were available, and we could afford to employ them, continuing to work in the same way will not improve wellbeing and fatigue.
"Our services can be improved – but that won't be done at pay talks, it will be decided locally where the services are provided and with strong involvement of those delivering the care, and by working with our SMOs to identify how they can be best supported to improve services."
