Shortage of anaesthetic technicians cuts operations

A quarter of non-urgent operations were cancelled at Middlemore Hospital and its nearby surgical centre last month, and a similar situation is expected this month, because of a shortage of anaesthetic technicians.

Counties Manukau District Health Board has about half the anaesthetic technicians it needs and - because of a lack of interest from job candidates in New Zealand - it has been trying to recruit staff in England.

Last month 159 operations, from gall bladder surgery to hip replacements, had to be cancelled and the situation is not expected to improve until November.

Options such as weekend and night surgery are being considered to clear the backlog.

Chris Fleming, general manager surgical and ambulatory care, said the hospital needed a total of 40 anaesthetic technicians but was down by 19. It was also short about 10 theatre nurses.

Resignations and a review of theatre procedures, which resulted in a change to the ratio of anaesthetic technicians, had compounded the shortage. (Previously an anaesthetic technician moved between two theatres but the hospital is working towards one technician per theatre.)

Mr Fleming said competition with the private sector and the fact that Counties Manukau used to pay technicians less than their counterparts at Auckland and Waitemata - although this has now been rectified - also contributed to the problem.

A recruitment drive in New Zealand and overseas had failed to attract any local candidates - "that's reflective that there's not an over-abundance of anaesthetic technicians in the country" - but offers had been made to 12 people in England. Five had signed contracts and one had started work.

"We always knew it was going to bite in July and we did 25 per cent less elective surgery," Mr Fleming said. "I believe we have passed the low point."

Public Services Association organiser Ashok Shankar said nationally there was a shortage of anaesthetic technicians but Counties Manukau was in a particularly bad position. Many trained technicians left to work in Britain where pay and career prospects were better.

Mr Shankar said the technicians were among a group of allied workers currently in negotiations over improved pay and conditions.

Mr Fleming said scheduling weekend and night surgery, keeping the Manukau Surgical Centre open during January and contracting more private procedures were potential options for catching up on the cancelled operations.

The ideas had prompted a mixed response from staff and management did not want to put them under more pressure, he said.

Job details

* Anaesthetic technicians assist anaesthetists and prepare operating theatres and clinics for anaesthetic procedures.
* They train for three years, including on the job experience in hospitals.
* They are paid between $28,000 and $48,000 a year.
* Counties Manukau District Health Board is short 19 anaesthetic technicians.