The inaugural CA, Ki Arahanga ki Tawhiti (The Bridge to the Future), was signed in late 2019 and expired on June 30 last year. Negotiations for a new CA are underway. Those covered by the CA include registered nurses, allied health professionals, kaiawhina/community health workers, social workers, alcohol and other drug counsellors, health promoters and administration personnel.
When discussing the request, the board considered the risks associated with granting membership to members of an unregulated profession (vision and hearing specialists). Responding to a question from the board, chief executive Memo Musa said admission to membership of the two groups would be a distraction to core business. However, it presented an opportunity in terms of marketing.
The pharmacists and vision and hearing specialists can be members of NZNO as long as they are employed by the trust.
This article has been written from reports and minutes taken from the February 2021 board of directors’ meeting.