More than 5000 senior doctors have gone on strike following months of unsuccessful negotiations with Health New Zealand.
Health NZ put forward an updated offer last week, but that was rejected by The Association of Senior Medical Specialists
According to Health NZ, the rejected agreement would see senior doctors receive increases to base pay ranging from $8093 to $29,911, depending on experience. Those on steps 4 to 15 would have received a $8000 lump sum payment.
However, the union says Health NZ’s offer, a 1.5% cap on total salary increases over the two-year term, amounted to a pay rise of 0.77% per year.
The union says its proposed increase was crucial for attracting more doctors to fill understaffed roles in public health departments and keeping experienced doctors from moving overseas to places like Australia, where pay is much higher and departments are less strained.
Health NZ said today’s strike would lead to 4300 planned procedures being postponed.
Hospitals and emergency departments would remain open, and other clinical staff, including doctors, would still be available to deliver services to those who needed them.
On Breakfast this morning, transplant nephrologist Dr Helen Pilmore said “we don’t want to strike”.
“We’ve never wanted to strike in the 35 years I’ve been a doctor, and the 26 years I’ve been a senior doctor, this, as you say, is unprecedented.”
She said the health system was in “dire crisis”.
The College of General Practitioners says the country is already way behind Australia in doctor numbers and it’s only going to get worse. (Source: 1News)
“It makes me sad every day when I see what’s going on. And what I think people need to understand is that the public healthcare system is crucial for the well-being of all Kiwis.”
She said “people will die” if doctors didn’t have sustainable conditions to work in.
“This is an unsustainable system at the moment, and patients are already suffering.”
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Deralie Flower said those on strike today were actually fighting to save the public health system.
“People work hard. The ones who are on strike are actually the ones who are still here,” Flower said. “They are the ones who actually believe our health system is worth fighting for.”
What’s been holding up negotiations?
Chief clinical officer at Health NZ Dr Richard Sullivan said the biggest challenge with negotiations was the “financial gap” the system was experiencing. (Source: 1News)
Chief clinical officer at Health NZ, Dr Richard Sullivan, said the biggest challenge with negotiations was the “financial gap” the system was experiencing.
“We know these are pretty tough economic times, and we’ve been pretty public about our financial constraints.
“So, we’ve been working hard with the union to try and come to an agreement, and I guess we’ve just not managed to get there yet.“
He said the organisation had been struggling up and down the country. Recruitment and retention were issues in places like Tairāwhiti. According to department head counts, the region experienced a 44% vacancy rate for senior doctors.
Nelson was also experiencing staffing difficulties. 1News spoke to multiple doctors at Nelson Hospital, who had serious concerns that staff shortages were impacting patients.
Sullivan said Health NZ was still “really determined” to keep working with the union to try and reach an agreement. He said the organisation had applied to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) for facilitation in the hopes of finding an agreement.
“I guess it’s really about working with our teams to lift that environment and make sure we can deliver the best services and get to a place that is acceptable to both parties.”
Government urges union to return to the negotiating table
In a Facebook post last night, Health Minister Simeon Brown said today’s strike would disrupt hospitals and delay healthcare, making waitlists longer. He urged the union to return to the negotiating table.
Brown said the Government’s updated offer reflected the desire to avoid any delays to healthcare.
“Instead of putting this offer to members to vote on it, the ASMS union has rejected it, deciding to go ahead with pre-planned strike action which will impact thousands of patients, rather than continued negotiations.
“The updated offer addressed a number of the key issues raised by the union to attract and retain Senior Doctors, including offering bonding of $25,000 for senior doctors who move to hard to staff regions for two years.”
The Minister would not appear on Breakfast, saying the strike was operational and that Health NZ would be best suited to discuss it.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis did appear and said New Zealand’s doctors were valued. Willis said she was “disappointed” that patients were having their procedures cancelled due to the strike.
The Finance Minister says today’s strike will have an effect on patients. (Source: 1News)
“We would really like to see doctors back at the negotiating table, in particular because in this case they haven’t taken the offer that the Government has made to their members. The union has just decided to strike.”
Willis thought the dispute could be negotiated and resolved.
Labour MP Ginny Andersen said the Government was “clearly” not doing enough.
“The problem we have is that in this initial couple of stages for doctors, yes, there is a pay increase, but there’s not enough in that offer to keep the doctors who are employed in New Zealand here now.
“This Government has consistently made the wrong choices, they’ve prioritised tax cuts for landlords and tax breaks for the tobacco lobby over properly funding our health system.”
Willis said the Government was investing significantly in health, calling it the “biggest increases to its funding it’s ever seen”, but there was no “endless money.”
“We do need to balance everything up.”
