NZNO (New Zealand Nurses Organisation) and PSA (Public Service Association) members working for the Government funded national telehealth services, run by Whakarongorau Aotearoa, will strike for 24 hours from 5.00pm Sunday 8 October to 5.00pm Monday 9 October.

There will be disruption to services during this time. Available staffing will be prioritised for services that support people in immediate danger. There will be significant delays in staff who are working, being able to respond to calls.

During the strike, all non-phone channels (that’s text, webchat, and email) and call-back options will be unavailable.

These services are expected to be available (at time of writing):

- Healthline

- Doctor services - doctor consults, Clinical Advice Line, doctor support for ambulance paramedics pilot (noting these will be unaffected by the strike action and delays are not expected)

- 1737 need to talk? will be available Monday 9 October 8.00am-5.00pm (phone only, there will be no text option)

- COVID Healthline

- Vaccination Healthline

- Quitline

- National Poisons Centre and Immunisation Advisory Centre services (noting these services will be unaffected by the strike action and delays are not expected)

- Emergency Triage service with ambulance

- Mental Health After Hours and Crisis Triage Service

- National Bowel Screening and National Cervical Screening coordination centres

- Seasonal pressures diversion pathways from rural, Māori and Pacific providers

- Puāwaitanga counselling service

- Whītiki Tauā mentoring service

- Earlier Mental Health Response service with Police

The following services will be unavailable (at time of writing):

- 1737 Need to talk? (from 5.00pm Sunday 8 October to 8.00am Monday 9 October)

- Depression Helpline

- Gambling Helpline

- Alcohol Drug Helpline

- The national sexual harm helpline Safe to talk

- The Elder Abuse Response Service

- Family violence services - the Shine Domestic Abuse Helpline, the Family Violence Information Line, the Family Violence Services Directory Helpline

- The RecoveRing service

When people contact the services during this time, there will be messaging about expected delays or about the service being unavailable, and options to access alternative health support and information.

The telehealth teams will - as they always do - focus on doing one safe call at a time.

Note for editors:

Whakarongorau Aotearoa // New Zealand Telehealth Services runs the Government-funded free to the public, 24x7, national telehealth services across seven digital channels. Those 35+ services are supported by 12 clinical teams.

Around 600 staff work from contact centres in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch and from their homes across Aotearoa. We also partner with Iwi and Māori-owned organisations in Kaikohe, Heretaunga, and Rotorua.

In the year to 30 June 2023 Whakarongorau responded to over 2.2 million contacts, connecting with nearly 1.6 million individual people; 95% of calls were answered within 10 minutes (up 3% from last year).

The services are co-funded by Te Whatu Ora / Health New Zealand (in partnership with Te Aka Whai Ora / The Māori Health Authority), the Ministry of Social Development, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), and the Department of Corrections. Whakarongorau Aotearoa is owned by ProCare and Pegasus Health.

www.whakarongorau.nz

media@whakarongorau.nz

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