October 25: Health Minister Andrew Little on today's health announcements. Video / Mark Mitchell
A Southland nurse in her second year was disheartened by Health Minister Andrew Little’s visit to Southland Hospital last month.
Emergency department nurse Kerri Templeton, 23, has since handed in her resignation and plans to embark on a working holiday next year because of the high demands of the job.
Before his visit to the hospital, Templeton penned a letter she planned to read to Little during the visit — though never got the chance as he did not address the department or speak to any staff not in positions of leadership.
She said his visit frustrated her, and that he didn’t appear to take the opportunity to truly investigate how bad the situation was.
“He was there for five minutes and he didn’t talk to any of the staff apart from the consultant doctors and a couple of the charge nurses. He didn’t talk to the little man. He didn’t talk to the people that are doing all the hard yards which could give him a real insight into how bad the situation is.
“It really ticked me off, to be honest, and he stood there with his mask halfway off his face. You’re the minister of health in New Zealand — like, at least set a good example.
“But I don’t know — it’s just pretty poor,” she said.
Little said his visit to the hospital was managed by senior management and senior clinicians.
“I ask to be able to speak with front-line staff and generally do, although this is usually more difficult in an ED,” he said.
“At Southland ED, I spoke at length with the head of the department, who was very clear about the challenges he faces.
“I was fully briefed on the plans to extend the Invercargill hospital’s ED and add surgical theatres.
“As a result of that, I have asked Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand for an update on progress with those plans.”
He noted that his mask was checked by the clinicians he was with.
In her letter, she told Little that New Zealand nurses were overworked, underpaid and underappreciated.
“New Zealand’s healthcare system is collapsing right in front of your eyes and has been for the past 40-50 years,” she wrote.
“Our current dire situation means that we are working more hours than we are contracted to. It means we cannot sit and hold the hand of a dying patient and comfort their family in their time of need; it means we cannot put someone’s mother, father, son, daughter or grandchild on a bed when they need it the most because we have no beds to put them on; it means that people are not getting the quality care they require and deserve and it means people will die.”
Health Minister Andrew Little. Photo / File
Little said registered nurses had had average pay rises of 20 per cent since Labour came into government in 2017.
He said some of the actions taken by central government to date included a commitment to pay registered nurses about $12,000 more a year on average as part of a pay-equity process, employing more nurses in public hospitals, training record numbers of nurses and making the first year of study fees-free.
