Doctors, health boards back in talks

Deborah Powell

Junior doctors and district health boards were today due to resume talks in their long running dispute over pay and working conditions.

The two parties met last week after about 2500 had walked off the job for five days following a break down in talks.

Talks to date have been heated, with NZ Resident Doctors Association general secretary Deborah Powell, representing the doctors, this week criticising a report commissioned by the health boards.

The report, compiled by Dr Christopher Landrigan, gave a positive review of the working conditions of the country's junior doctors.

Health boards said the report showed conditions in hospital were among the best in the world and also highlighted where improvements could be made.

Dr Powell said the report was another round of propaganda from the health boards.

It highlighted the serious issues of patient safety, that doctor fatigue continued to exist and there was further room for improvement, she said.

Neither party has been commenting on how much progress has been made in recent talks, other than to say they are "moving forward".

- NZPA