Health situation ‘demoralising’ say striking Gisborne Hospital doctors

Senior doctors at Gisborne Hospital are striking for 24 hours tomorrow. Photo / Liam Clayton

Last-ditch mediation has failed between a senior doctors’ union and Health NZ, so Gisborne Hospital is preparing for a 24-hour strike on Thursday.

Local senior doctors will later hold a public meeting on the state of the hospital and healthcare.

A Health New Zealand official says the strike action is disappointing and will affect more than 4300 planned procedures but says those currently in hospital will still get the care they need.

The doctors hope for strong public support as they express concern for low staffing levels, patient safety and better pay.

“The situation has reached the point where you have to say what needs to be said,” Dr Alex Raines of Gisborne Hospital told the Gisborne Herald.

“We’ve reached out multiple times for help, basically things have not improved – we are in a worse situation.

“It’s really demoralising ... to be told there is no problem.

“We’re going on strike, not for ourselves, but we need more colleagues here to shoulder some of the burden.”

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) has confirmed up to 5500 senior doctors across New Zealand will walk off the job for 24 hours (from midnight) after pay negotiations stalled.

The ASMS union sought a 12% pay increase but originally received a Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora offer of between 1 and 1.5%.

This week Health NZ increased its offer to 3% over two years for most doctors with a lump sum payment of $8000 for doctors with three or more years’ experience.

Executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Sarah Dalton.

ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton said little was being done to address worsening staffing gaps in hospitals.

Shortages at regional hospitals in Gisborne, as well as at Nelson, were at crisis levels, she said.

Paediatrician Carol Chan, Gisborne branch president of ASMS, recently told the Gisborne Herald there was a 44% vacancy rate among senior doctors at Gisborne Hospital.

Raines rejected figures provided by Health Minister Simeon Brown that Gisborne Hospital had received 8.2 fulltime equivalent senior medical officers since August.

Only one of the doctors was a new and permanent doctor, he said.

ASMS communications adviser Andrew Chick told the Gisborne Herald that 86.55% of voters backed the 24-hour strike.

The official result was 2833 doctors voted for the strike while 477 doctors voted against it.

That was a 55.97% voter turnout through all public hospitals.

Chick said senior doctors would ensure life-preserving services were maintained.

Health New Zealand chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan said he was disappointed by the industrial action.

The strike would cause the cancellation of about 4300 planned procedures, or first specialist appointments, alongside the postponement of thousands of radiology procedures, he said.

Health NZ’s chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan. Photo / Alyse Wright

A Health NZ statement said hospitals and healthcare services would continue to provide acute and emergency care throughout the strike with the help of other clinical staff.

Anyone staying in hospital during the strikes would still receive the care and support they needed.

The Thursday public meeting is being held at the House of Breakthrough from 7pm to 8.30pm.

The speakers are Raines, Dr Art Nahill, Dr Glenn Colquhoun and Malcolm Mulholland, chairman of Patient Voice Aotearoa.

“I’m hoping the community turns out to show their support and send the message to Health New Zealand and the health minister,” Raines said.

“The situation is impacting on our community in a huge way.

“We do our best to keep the quality of care at Gisborne Hospital as high as we can, but it is really quite limited.

“That comes down to staffing and capacity.

“We have to keep acute services going, but few doctors are available for planned care, clinics and consultations.”