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Officials from Auckland's private and public hospitals have met to discuss training for anaesthetic technicians after a winter of shortages at Middlemore Hospital.
Up to a third of the 42 anaesthetic technician positions at the hospital have been vacant over the past three months, forcing the cancellation of surgery for around 800 patients in July and August alone.
Representatives from Southern Cross and MercyAscot hospitals met their public hospital counterparts yesterday to discuss the issue.
But officials were downplaying the significance of the meeting.
"It certainly was not a crisis meeting - it was just a meeting to talk with other people who also employ anaesthetic technicians about how many people are being trained and what are the options in future for training," said the Counties Manukau district's acting general manager of surgery, Alan Wilson.
It was normal practice for hospitals to get together to discuss matters of mutual interest, although he could not say if hospitals had met previously to discuss the anaesthetic technician shortage.
There was no discussion on the sharing of resources, and he would not say if they came to a decision.
"All I would say is that all the hospitals in the area are keen to get together in regard to anaesthetic technician training."
Brenda Pilott, national secretary for the Public Service Association, which represents anaesthetic technicians, said turnover was particularly high in Auckland. Staff typically moved overseas where they could get more money, or to the regions, where their pay went a lot further.
"The cost of living in Auckland is always going to be an issue and a difficult one for everybody to manage."
But the problem is a national one.
The three-year qualification for anaesthetic technicians was easily portable, meaning it was not difficult for New Zealand-trained technicians to work overseas, she said.
"New Zealand has to work very hard to both get and keep people with an international market like this."
Their profession also appeared to be less valued, said Mrs Pilott. A qualified anaesthetic technician starts at $40,531 and rises to $53,841 after six years. A public hospital nurse with a three-year degree meanwhile earns $54,000 after five years, excluding an additional 13 to 15 per cent in penal rates from overtime and shift allowances. Under their new collective employment agreement, that rises to $60,150 by 2009.
The PSA believed the shortage to be a funding issue.
