Union’s strike action to hit thousands of patients

Media Release
13 January 2017
Union’s strike action to hit thousands of patients

Several thousand patients’ nationwide will be directly impacted by the NZ Resident Doctors’ Association’s decision to proceed with a 73-hour strike at 18 of the 20 DHBs next week.

Julie Patterson, lead CEO for the DHBs’ Employment Relations Programme and Whanganui DHB CEO, said that the Northern region has advised that in their region alone, more than 2,200 patients will be affected across Northland, Waitemata, Auckland and Counties Manukau) DHBs.

“This is a significant number of families who are going to be affected in the north alone having their outpatient clinic appointments and surgical operation bookings postponed because of the strike.”

Waikato DHB has also advised it is postponing around 500 patient bookings due to the strike. Bay of Plenty DHB has postponed 350 planned surgeries and appointments.

“This situation will be reflected right around the country causing unnecessary discomfort and inconvenience to many thousands of patients in need of treatment.

“What’s more disappointing is that the union appears oblivious to the real human impact of their industrial strategy. Since the DHBs have agreed to address all of the health and safety points raised by the Resident Doctors’ Association, the union is now holding patients to ransom over claims relating to lifestyle and pay.

“The union is putting the lifestyle interests of their members ahead of the healthcare needs of the public. The public should hold the union’s leader, Dr Deborah Powell, to account.

“It is with regret, that due to Dr Powell’s strategy, the DHBs have had to start contacting patients to advise them that their appointment has to be postponed because of the strike.”

Mrs Patterson said “it is heart-breaking for our staff, who are having to tell patients such as the woman diagnosed with breast cancer, that her mastectomy is postponed for a few weeks. Or the plumber who has had a heart attack and has cancelled all jobs to have time off for his surgery.”

DHBs will contact those patients whose booking needs to be rescheduled because of the strike. Patients who have a booking during the strike period but who do not hear from their local DHB should attend their scheduled appointment.

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