Nearly 14,000 patients are having operations, procedures and appointments postponed this week, during two days of strike action by Nurses Organisation members.
It follows nearly a year of deadlocked negotiations between the union and Health NZ, which culminated in a 24-hour strike at the end of July.
Health NZ chief executive Dr Dale Bramley said the agency was committed to ensuring patient safety during the strikes, which he was “deeply concerned will result in delays to treatment, services and care for an estimated 13,850 patients”.
“Contingency plans are in place to ensure those who need care the most will still be able to receive it, but the planned strikes will see our hospitals disrupted for the entire week,” he said.
“They will cause further delay to patients waiting for treatment, disrupt treatment and care for those already in hospital and set back our work to improve access to services.”
More than 300 graduate nurses who were due to start work on Monday have had their start date delayed a week as a result of the industrial action, he said.
“We have listened to our nurses’ concerns on safe services and the employment of graduate nurses and we are ready and willing to work with the union on solutions.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that we have the right staff and skill mix to deliver quality, safe patient care.”
However, Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels said management was refusing to give any guarantee on safe staffing levels, which were critical to patient care.
“It’s unprecedented to have two full-day strikes within one week.
“That reflects to me the extreme anger that our members have towards Health NZ and the government over not putting on the table something we can talk about.
“Our Minister of Health keeps telling us to come back to the table, but nothing new is put on the table – so what is the point?”
NZNO delegate Noreen McCallan said the two-day strike action was not taken lightly by members.
“We are doing this because we fear for the safety of our patients. We will lose two days’ pay for striking but we are standing up for safe staffing because it is the right thing to do.
“We became health workers because we want to care for people. But staff shortages have become overwhelming and exhausting for many of us. Our patients are suffering longer because we can’t get to them as quickly as we should.”
NZNO members will spending their strike time doing a range of activities including hikoi, pickets, candlelight vigils, food bank drivers, blood bank donations, sausage sizzles and BBQs.
Hospitals and all emergency departments would remain open during the strike, with a small number of staff providing life-preserving services.
Health NZ’s advises:
People requiring non-emergency care should contact their GP or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 in the first instance.All emergency departments will remain open.Patients in hospital will receive safe care.Unless patients are contacted directly, they should attend any scheduled outpatient appointment or treatment.