That’s the call from Tracey Morgan, chair of the NZNO college of primary health-care nurses which is urging primary health-care employers to pass this funding increase on to them via their wages.
“This will help stem the flow of nurses out of primary care and into hospitals if employers don’t forget us,” Morgan says.
The Government funds GP clinics based on the number of enrolled patients they have, regardless of the services they receive, through what’s called the capitation system.
Health Minister Simeon Brown today announced capitation funding for this year is set to increase by 13.89 per cent.
“A skilled nursing workforce is desperately needed to keep care in the community, ensure vaccination targets are met, ease pressure on hospital emergency departments and prevent long term conditions worsening,” Morgan says.
“During collective agreement bargaining last year, primary care nurses were 16 to 18 per cent behind their hospital-based colleagues in pay. The employers told the union that if the money was available, they would willingly pass it on to nurses.”
‘It’s not news that many of our members are giving up on their passion, their love for working in communities…’
There are about 3500 nurses across primary health-care and many of them working in GP or medical centres whose owners will get this latest funding increase.
Primary care nurses will receive a three per cent increase in July through their collective agreement which also gave them a further five per cent on ratification earlier this year, Morgan says.
“However, this will still have them 10 per cent behind hospital nurses with the same qualifications.
“Simeon Brown says this funding boost is to help patients see their doctor and nurse earlier. The ability to recruit and retain primary health-care nurses is vital to achieving this,” Morgan says.
“It’s not news that many of our members are giving up on their passion, their love for working in communities, and heading closer to the edge of the cliff in hospitals or leaving the profession entirely.”