This week’s scenes of doctors and nurses striking together outside the country’s biggest hospital, Auckland City, will likely continue and spread until “dangerous” understaffing is addressed by the Government.
That was the messages of 370 perioperative nurses from Auckland City, Starship and Greenlane hospitals who went on strike this week over not being paid for overtime they are forced into, due to understaffing.
Perioperative nurse Chloe Fitzgibbon told Kaitiaki seeing so many health workers turn out was “awesome”.
“For us nurses, it’s been an ongoing debate between Te Whatu Ora and NZNO. We are being forced to stay overtime as it’s our ‘due diligence’ as nurses yet paid incorrectly.”
‘We deserve better so we can look after our patients and perform at our best.’
She said hard-working nurses “deserved better”.
“Te Whatu Ora needs to hear our experiences and act on it. We deserve better so we can look after our patients and perform at our best.”
The nurses were joined by about 5000 senior doctors around the country from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) union, striking over what they say is a relative pay cut from Te Whatu Ora, who offered them a 1.5 per cent pay increase.
Hundreds of other nurses, midwives and health-care workers also turned out around the country calling for a safer health system. Other unions also turned out to support May Day — a traditional day of celebration for workers.
Auckland registered nurse (RN) Sophie Tomes told Auckland’s rally it was becoming ever harder to give good care to patients.
‘Understaffing is dangerous not only for our staff but our patients as well.’
“When I interviewed for my first nursing job, a year and a half ago, I told them that I became a nurse because my passion is caring for others. This is still true, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide the quality of care I strive towards,” she said.
Tomes said in her hospital understaffing was a constant problem “and it is dangerous not only for our staff but our patients as well”.
She “rarely” had time to shower her patients, who often had to wait more than 10 minutes to be helped off the toilet when she was busy.
“Too often patients’ medication is delayed because I’ve been too busy to administer them on time,” Tomes said. “This is not only dangerous for my patients but soul crushing for me.”
It was also nurses who mostly fielded the family’s complaints, she said. “All we can do is our very best with what we have which is not enough.”
‘A disgrace’
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter told a 500-strong raincoated crowd that the strike reflected desperate measures frontline hospital staff — doctors and nurses — had been forced to take.
“I acknowledge the senior doctors here. Just like nurses, it’s a tough gig calling a strike which just shows the desperation that you have in your struggles to achieve legitimate outcomes.”
Goulter said the Government was a “disgrace”, overseeing a chaotic health system, yet refusing to fix it.
He called on the Government to start working with staff, their representatives and the unions to turn around the health system into one Aotearoa deserves.
Minister of Health Simeon Brown has urged doctors to return to negotiations but has not yet commented on the perioperative nurses’ strike.
This May Day, NZNO members joined other union members around the country in ‘fight back for health’ events, part of the NZ Council of Trade Unions’ ‘fight back together’ campaign.
Wellington nurses brave ‘life-threatening’ weather to support striking doctors
Defying severe weather in Wellington, which saw schools and roads closed, a hardy group of doctors turned out to strike outside Hutt Hospital — with the support of nurses, radiologists, dentists and health unions.
Despite banners being whisked skywards by gale-force winds, the strikers were buoyed by coffee, constant tooting and a loud playlist as they shivered for an hour in the wild wind.
‘We’re all here because we care about our population, we care about the people in New Zealand.’
Hutt hospital paediatric dentist Erin Mahoney said it was all about health professionals “standing united” despite atrocious weather. Like many other areas, she said acute paediatric dentistry had long waiting lists.
NZNO nurse delegate Eden Baker said she was braving the conditions to support her doctor colleagues.
“I believe this is really important for New Zealand people. We’re all here because we care about our population, we care about the people in New Zealand, and we want to make sure they have the best health care, because that is what we deserve.”
‘They’ve got a choice – they can give money to big tobacco or put it back into the health system.’
Hutt emergency doctor Tanya Wilton said the ED was constantly short of doctors and nurses and struggled to hold onto staff. She said Te Whatu Ora’s latest 1.5 per cent offer to doctors was a “relative pay cut” and provided little incentive for doctors to stay in New Zealand.
“They’ve got a choice – they can give money to big tobacco or put it back into the health system.”
About 5000 ASMS members around the country went on a 24-hour strike till 11.59 Thursday night after a 1.5 per cent offer from Te Whatu Ora they said failed to take into account staffing shortages or how to achieve the Government’s toughened health targets.
Wellington Hospital radiologist Arun George travelled to support the strike, warning the current Government’s privatisation agenda was destroying the public health system in his area of work.
‘The last one [Government] didn’t do much good, but this one is doing harm.’
“The last one [Government] didn’t do much good, but this one is doing harm,” he said.
Supporter Harriet Wild, a union staffer, even turned out with her baby, Wilfred.
Wellington psychiatrist Alain Marcuse said Wellington and Wairarapa mental health services were “catastrophic” and desperately understaffed with doctors and nurses.
Public Service Association members also joined the rally, saying the doctors had supported their striking allied health workers in 2024.
RN Sophie Tomes speaks of the “dangerous” realities facing patients and nurses