Doctors name strike dates

More than 2500 junior doctors in public hospitals intend to strike for five days next month over working hours.

Resident Doctors' Association general secretary Deborah Powell said last night that the strike would take place from 7am on June 15 to 7am on June 20.

She said resident doctors typically worked 12 days without a break, and when on night shift, could work seven hours a night for 10 nights in a row.

"We are exhausted and we are making mistakes; patients are suffering." Junior doctors were leaving hospitals because of the poor conditions, leading to worse staff shortages, which meant those who were left had to work even harder, she said.

However district health board advocate Nigel Murray called the planned strike "absolutely outrageous" and said the junior doctors' union had refused to engage in meaningful negotiations.

Dr Murray, who has been leading industrial negotiations on behalf of the country's 21 boards, said it was wrong of junior doctors to cripple hospital services and endanger patients, when doctor numbers had increased by 20 per cent, and earnings by 25 per cent, in the past five years.

"Most junior doctors straight out of medical school will start on a package of $70,000, which is more than most people will retire on.

"We're determined that the old, adversarial ways are simply not working in today's hospitals. What we want is a collaborative, open process where DHBs and [registered medical officers] are equally represented."

Dr Murray said each DHB had a contingency plan and would assess how a strike would affect services.

Patient safety would be a priority, he said, and it was likely all but emergency services would be suspended during the strike.

Hospitals would, therefore, need to start reducing services leading up to it.

"It is extremely disappointing to get notice of strike when we have four days of talks planned and the union still hasn't quantified its pay claim.

"Modern health care is delivered by a wide-ranging team of health professionals. Junior doctors are a key part of that, but they've turned their back on an offer to sit at the table with senior doctors and hospital managers to be part of long-term solutions for the sector."

Resident doctors first issued notice of strike action last year but then withdrew it after the employers promised change.

Dr Murray said he hoped "negotiation and common sense" would prevent the strike.

- NZPA