Senior doctors with the the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists symbolically walk out the doors of Whangārei Hospital after going on strike at 10am on Wednesday. Photo / Denise Piper
Senior doctors with the the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists symbolically walk out the doors of Whangārei Hospital after going on strike at 10am on Wednesday. Photo / Denise Piper
Striking Northland hospital doctors, working with a vacancy rate of nearly 20%, say the health system is in crisis.
About 240 senior doctors and dentists from Northland hospitals walked off the job at 10am today, in a 24-hour strike organised by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
On top ofthis, about 150 people attended a public meeting in Whangārei on Tuesday night, to hear about the crisis facing their health system.
Pickets were held outside Whangārei and Kaitāia Hospital this morning.
The action comes after a nationwide strike by the union in May, as it bargains with Health NZ Te Whatu Ora over a collective contract for senior medical officers.
Health NZ said it was disappointed strike action is occurring while negotiations are ongoing, but reassured patients that plans were in place to continue hospital services.
Chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan acknowledged concerns raised over workforce shortages in some specialities.
He admitted Northland has a vacancy rate of 19% when it comes to senior doctors and dentists, with 52 vacancies out of 275 roles. Ten new senior doctors and dentists have been appointed and will start in the next few months, he said.
Whangārei Hospital ED consultant and union president Dr Eugene Fayerberg said the vacancies show Health NZ is not doing enough to attract senior doctors to an area like Northland.
The strike is about standing up for investment in healthcare, so the likes of his children have the healthcare they need, he said.
About 240 senior doctors and dentists from Northland hospitals went on strike on Wednesday, including Dr Gary Payinda (left front, in black) and Dr Eugene Fayerberg (centre front, in green). Photo / Denise Piper
Fayerberg said he was heartened by the attendance at the public meeting.
“There was a wide spectrum of people who came and everyone has a common purpose to improve our healthcare system - it’s not good enough.”
Union spokesman and Whangārei ED doctor Dr Gary Payinda said doctors have been raising concerns about vacancies and unsafe staffing levels for years - they felt a strike was the only lever they had.
“It’s not about the money for me, it’s about the fact that when I go and see patients the first words will be, ‘I’m sorry it took me four hours to see you’.”
Health NZ’s pay offer detailed
While facilitated bargaining is a confidential process, Health NZ has released information about the offer it made to senior doctors in April.
It benefits specialists in their first years the most, with a 9.5% increase in base salary for a first-year specialist in 2025 and 6% in 2026.
Senior doctors higher up the pay scale would have gained 1% in 2025 and 2% in 2026, alongside any progression and a lump sum of $8000.
A new annual allowance of $25,000 to all doctors in Northland, Tairāwhiti, Mid-Central and Nelson-Marlborough, to support recruitment in these areas, was also added.
Health NZ said the average salary for a full-time specialist doctor is $343,500, covering base salary, the likes of on-call duties and overtime, and superannuation.
But the association said the pay offer is well below inflation for senior doctors and the parties are still far apart on what is needed.
Fayerberg said he disagrees on the calculations that Health NZ has done to come up with the average figures.
The vacancy rate shows senior doctors - who have spent a lot of time and money educating themselves - are still not being offered enough to move to Northland, he said.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
