General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices In Relation To The NZNO Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim

GenPro has been copied into a rising number of Clause 14 notices issued since the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) lodged its Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim against General Practice employers in early December 2023.

As of January 12th, 2024, GenPro has been copied into 50 notifications and has been contacted by several practices seeking support with issuing a Clause 14 Notification to their PHO.

These notices flag the risk to the ongoing sustainability of General Practice services should the Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim be settled but not fully funded.

GenPro Chair, Dr Angus Chambers, believes that the notices reflect the ongoing concern of practices regarding their financial viability.

“The precarious financial position of practices as shown in the GenPro Survey of August 2023, will only be amplified should the equity claim be settled without the Government providing the funding.”

Dr Chambers goes on to say that “General Practice Owners value their nurses highly, and are fully supportive of pay parity, but the funding model currently in place will simply not enable many of them to meet the increases of the claim and retain their current level of service, which is already under significant pressure.”

GenPro has been contacted by many practices who have expressed concerns regarding the lack of clarity around funding for the NZNO Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim and what this will mean for their ongoing service viability and access for their patients.

GenPro has been in discussions with the NZNO and other employer representatives on this issue. While other equity claims have been funded, there remains uncertainty in terms of whether General Practice will be funded, and if it is, to what extent and for how long.

GenPro fully supports pay parity for nurses across the sector and is calling on the Government to fund pay parity rather than pay equity. “If the issue of pay parity for all nurses was settled, then this claim and the stress it continues to create for employers would be resolved. The lack of pay parity is the issue here and an equity claim is an alternative means to an end, with parity being the end we all want to see” said Dr Chambers.

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