Media release

Waitakere ED closes doors early due to doctor shortage

Waitakere Hospital was forced to close its emergency department early twice over the weekend, due to a chronic shortage of senior doctors.

And Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Ian Powell says the shortages are predicted to get worse next month, meaning there is a possibility Waitemata DHB may have to close the emergency department completely on some weekends.

Ian Powell says it is shocking the situation has got this dire, and it is time the District Health Boards took action to address the retention and recruitment issues facing the health workforce.

The emergency department closed six hours early on Saturday and Sunday. Patients were told to either drive 25 kilometres to the North Shore emergency department or were given vouchers to attend a private clinic.

Senior specialists have recently shown their concern over the shortages by holding stopwork meetings around the country. The move came following unsuccessful year long negotiations with the DHBs over a collective agreement.

Ian Powell says the situation in Waitemata is just one example of the increasing difficulty in retaining specialists in New Zealand.

“We knew the problem in Waitemata was escalating and it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to cover two rosters for North Shore Hospital and Waitakere. Senior doctors warned that patient care could be compromised, and unfortunately that is what we are seeing now.”

Ian Powell says the DHB has received resignations from 12 senior doctors working in its two emergency departments in the last two years, with seven going overseas. For the three years before that, resignations averaged one person per year.

“Members tell me that it is very clear senior doctors are unhappy about pay and conditions and while people are leaving it has become increasingly difficult to recruit replacements.”

Ian Powell says the DHBs won’t listen, but it is clear that senior doctors are despondent and don’t see any resolution.

“Senior doctors like the staff at Waitemata DHB emergency department are really stretching to cover over the cracks but it cannot go on. There is no reserve capacity and doctors’ stress levels are very high.”

Ian Powell says reports also make it clear that because of the conditions even more people are considering leaving.

“We have had reports that at Waitemata, at least another four doctors are actively applying for jobs elsewhere.”

Ian Powell says this is the crux of the senior doctors’ claims.

“New Zealand will continue to have problems recruiting and retaining senior doctors if we are not competitive. We are currently struggling and as a consequence, our health system is creaking under the strain.”

He says senior doctors at all stopwork meetings supported holding a vote on whether to take lawful national industrial action. Since the completion of the national stopwork meetings there has been one day of mediation with another scheduled for Friday this week.

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