KEY POINTS:
Blood transfusions, blood-testing and tissue-sampling services will be unavailable for all but life-threatening conditions if a planned strike by medical laboratory workers goes ahead this week.
Hospitals and union representatives are meeting in Auckland today for talks to avert the action, which could paralyse public and private hospitals across the country.
Some operations have already been postponed.
The strike - involving 1200 lab staff - will make most surgery impossible and hamper medical decisions.
Medical laboratory scientists test blood, tissue and other samples to determine the presence and seriousness of disease.
Their work ranges from everyday tasks such as blood group identification to testing for cancer and meningococcal disease.
The seven-day strike has already led to the cancellation of elective surgery as hospitals prepare to cope.
Labs involved are the Blood Service, Wellington Pathology, Medlab South, Southern Community Laboratories and 13 district health boards, although all public hospitals will be affected, largely because they are dependent on the Blood Service's laboratories.
"Private hospitals have also had to look at the surgery they can provide," said Anne Aitcheson, the district health boards' national co-ordinator of contingency planning.
Mrs Aitcheson said the boards had already cancelled electives, changed outpatient appointments and renegotiated with private laboratories.
"We will use all the capacity that's available to us. There are obviously situations where tests can be deferred and we will do that."
Treatment for urgent cases and the very sick would continue under an agreement with union members to provide life-preserving services.
People were advised to check their newspaper or with their local hospital, as each health board's arrangements were different.
The acting operations manager at Auckland City Hospital, Sue Harvey, said acute and urgent cover would be provided but elective surgery and outpatient clinics would be reduced.
Booked surgery and some out-patient services would be postponed.
"Many services will be severely affected and the hospital will not be able to sustain business as normal."
The Medical Laboratory Workers Union is seeking a 5 per cent pay rise and a starting rate of $45,000 a year, up from $40,000 now.
It has received an offer of 1.5 per cent for year one and 2.5 per cent in the second year from the health boards and the Blood Service.
National president Stewart Smith said the union's members, who complete a 4-year degree to qualify, start on a lower rate than related health professions requiring a three-year degree.
"We just have a total inability to attract people into the profession at the moment.
"We're hopeful that we can avoid strike action. Obviously it's our measure of last resort. We've not reached this point lightly."
National Party health spokesman Tony Ryall said this strike would be much worse than the junior doctors' in August, when senior physicians were able to step into the breach.
The junior doctors' dispute was settled after they accepted a deal this month giving them a 5.8 per cent pay rise.
The action
* Seven-day strike from 8am on Wednesday.
* 1200 medical laboratory scientists involved.
* Seeking a 5 per cent pay rise and a starting rate of $45,000 a year - up from $40,000.
* About 90 per cent of medical decisions revolve around the scientists' diagnoses.
