Health NZ offers bonuses, union claims pay inconsistency for doctors
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Health NZ says it will offer bonus payments to senior doctors in hard-to-staff areas. Photo / 123rf
By Ruth Hill of RNZ
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is promising bonus payments to senior doctors who work in hard-to-staff areas, although a union is accusing it of failing to consistently pay allowances now.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, which represents 5500 senior hospital doctors and dentists, has criticised Health NZ's new offer to its members as amounting to 'an effective pay cut' for 90% of them.
Union head Sarah Dalton was also sceptical of Health NZ's proposal to ring-fence $32 million over two years for an incentive to doctors to work in areas or specialities with particular shortages.
The agency was already paying $384m a year on contingency staffing, which was 'driving people out of salaried into locum work and temporary gigs' and current systems for paying allowances were ad hoc and 'shambolic', she said.
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