Health NZ offers bonuses, union claims pay inconsistency for doctors

RNZ

2 Aug, 2025 04:27 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listenAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.Subscribe now

‌

SaveShare this articleCopy LinkEmailFacebookTwitter/XLinkedInReddit

Health NZ says it will offer bonus payments to senior doctors in hard-to-staff areas. Photo / 123rf

By Ruth Hill of RNZ

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is promising bonus payments to senior doctors who work in hard-to-staff areas, although a union is accusing it of failing to consistently pay allowances now.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, which represents 5500 senior
hospital doctors and dentists, has criticised Health NZ’s new offer to its members as amounting to “an effective pay cut” for 90% of them.

Union head Sarah Dalton was also sceptical of Health NZ’s proposal to ring-fence $32 million over two years for an incentive to doctors to work in areas or specialities with particular shortages.

The agency was already paying $384m a year on contingency staffing, which was “driving people out of salaried into locum work and temporary gigs” and current systems for paying allowances were ad hoc and “shambolic”, she said.