Govt Must Fund Nurses’ Settlement Or Patients Lose

“Health Cuts Hurt urges the Minister of Health to step in and fully fund the Nurses’ $120m settlement including the flow-ons which are estimated at $53m for Canterbury,” Chairperson of patient lobby group, Health Cuts Hurt, Eleanor Carter said today.

“Health Cuts Hurt has no argument with fair pay and good leave arrangements for nurses and health workers. However our group believes that the CDHB should be congratulated for raising the flow on effects of the settlement,” said Eleanor Carter.

“Health Cuts Hurt primary concern is the certainty of further cuts to patient elective surgery and other services such as Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department due to the fact that the settlement is well above current Board funding,” said Eleanor Carter. “We also are concerned at the apparent lack of Government intervention to deal with the crisis in health sector wage fixing.”

“A comprehensive approach by the Government as funder to the crisis in health wage fixing is urgently needed. The CDHB has already withdrawn from the Board’s negotiating body (DHBNZ) and called on the Ministry of Health to do its job,” said Eleanor Carter.

“The schools sector provides a model for the health sector,” said Eleanor Carter. “Firstly the Ministry of Education does the negotiations for all school boards. Secondly, funding for schools is split into wages and operations with the operations money sacrosanct from robbery to top up wages.”

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