Govt Risks Hospice Care By Cutting Women's Pay
The Government's decision to cut women's pay could result in an exodus of palliative care nurses from the profession.
'Hospice nurses were just weeks away from having their years-long pay equity claim settled when the Government cruelly cut women's pay equity for their Budget,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.
'These are nurses who care for people at the end of their lives. They have been fighting for years for the dignity of equal pay with their hospital colleagues, only for the Government to change the rules on them at the last minute and scrap their claim.
'It's not just cruel, it's incredibly short-sighted. Hospices are struggling to recruit and retain nurses on lower pay than their hospital counterparts, and have to pay them out of a diminishing amount of funding from the Government, grants and fundraising.
'Hospice New Zealand has warned it needs a $16 million boost from the Government just to keep the lights on. Without pay equity or the money to pay nurses what they deserve, it will be harder to provide the care New Zealanders need at the end of their lives.
'This Government is choosing tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies over pay raises for funding essential care. It's short-sighted, unfair, and plain wrong,' Ayesha Verrall said.
Hospice nurses and healthcare assistants had one of the 13 funded-sector health claims that the Government abolished when it passed the Equal Pay Amendment Act.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
Otago Central Lakes Strategic Health Report Available To Public
Press Release – Southern Lakes Health Trust The Strategic Report identifies opportunities to increase public health services in Otago Central Lakes by partnering with the private sector to invest in services and infrastructure to benefit our region. The Otago Central Lakes [1] Health Services & Assets project has publicly released the Strategic Report sent to Minister of Health Hon Simeon Brown in February 2025. The work supporting the Strategic Report is a collaborative effort, led by Joseph Mooney, MP for Southland and involving Health New Zealand, Central Otago District Council. Queenstown Lakes District Council, rural health providers, iwi, including kaupapa Māori health providers, local MPs, and the community. 'We have a clear objective; to expedite planning and investment in health services and infrastructure in Otago Central Lakes,' Mr Mooney says. The Strategic Report identifies opportunities to increase public health services in Otago Central Lakes by partnering with the private sector to invest in services and infrastructure to benefit our region. 'As we have outlined to the Minister, this project is not asking for public funds but is seeking support to effectively progress the opportunities and initiatives we have put forward,' says Miles Anderson, MP for Waitaki and member of the project's Steering Committee. Mayors of Queenstown Lakes District Council and Central Otago District Council also sit on the Steering Committee. 'The Strategic Report aligns with the component of the Regional Deal proposal that QLDC and CODC are partners to, towards developing innovative approaches to the area's health system. We look forward to feedback and direction from the Minister of Health, Simeon Brown on the Strategic Report and how this will help inform work on a health needs assessment for the area,' says QLDC Mayor Glyn Lewers. '70 per cent of New Zealanders who live two or more hours from a hospital live in Otago Central Lakes. Our proposal will bring healthcare closer to our residents and help to reduce demand on our regions' base hospitals in Dunedin and Invercargill,' says CODC Mayor Tamah Alley. 'Our approach will lead to far more streamlined and effective healthcare for this rapidly growing population. We have presented a strong plan to improve things for our people,' says Steering Committee member and ACT MP Todd Stephenson. [1] 'Otago Central Lakes' = areas currently encompassed by Central Otago District Council and Queenstown Lakes District Council, including Queenstown, Arrowtown, Kingston, Glenorchy, Wanaka, Luggate, Lake Hawea, Cardrona, Cromwell, Clyde, Alexandra, Roxburgh, Ranfurly.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Bringing ENT Care Closer To Home In Northland
Press Release – New Zealand Government The service supports procedures such as endoscopy, vertigo manoeuvres, treatment for otitis media, adult grommet insertions, and removal of foreign bodies from the ear, nose, or throat. It also enables outpatient bookings for ENT surgeries including … Hon Simeon Brown Minister of Health Associate Minister of Health A new mobile ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist clinic has been launched in Northland, bringing high-quality specialist care directly to local communities, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey say. 'This is a significant step toward improving access to care for people in rural and remote parts of Northland,' Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The initiative began in May with the first of several rural outreach clinics held in Kawakawa. Additional clinics are planned for Kaikohe and Rawene this month. 'In just two days, the mobile clinic saw 53 patients – more than half of whom had been waiting over 10 months for an appointment, mostly for a first specialist assessment. Others were seen after spotting the clinic parked in their community. 'These patients would otherwise have had to travel to Whangārei Hospital. That's why initiatives like this make a real difference in improving timely access to care and delivering services closer to home. 'They also support our focus on reducing wait times for first specialist assessments and elective surgeries by easing pressure on hospital waitlists.' Patients were assessed for a range of conditions, including hearing loss, grommet and tonsil concerns, chronic ear disease, nasal and sinus obstruction, and head and neck lumps. Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says the mobile clinic is a welcome development for the region. 'Access to healthcare is one of the biggest concerns for people living in rural and remote communities. 'This mobile clinic is fully equipped with advanced diagnostic and treatment technology, providing a standard of care on par with what patients receive at Whangārei or Kaitaia hospitals – exactly what rural communities deserve.' The service supports procedures such as endoscopy, vertigo manoeuvres, treatment for otitis media, adult grommet insertions, and removal of foreign bodies from the ear, nose, or throat. It also enables outpatient bookings for ENT surgeries including adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, and mastoidectomy. 'This initiative is a practical example of how we're working to bring services closer to home and reduce long waits for specialist care. 'Our focus is on ensuring all New Zealanders, regardless of where they live, can get the care they need without having to travel long distances or face lengthy delays,' Mr Doocey says.
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
New Food Safety Booklet Features Science-Backed Tips To Avoid Food Poisoning
Whether you're making family dinner, heating up leftovers, packing lunch for the kids, or having friends over for a barbecue, New Zealand Food Safety has great science-backed tips to keep everyone safe. 'Every year, thousands of New Zealanders get food poisoning. Many of these foodborne illnesses are due to poor food preparation, cooking, or storage at home,' says New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle. 'There's a wide range of symptoms, ranging from the inconvenient to the life-threatening for people vulnerable to illness. 'NZFS already has a wealth of science-based information on its Food safety at home webpages to help you prevent getting foodborne illnesses. This year, to coincide with World Food Safety Day tomorrow, we have distilled all this expertise into a new booklet of simple tips for avoiding foodborne illness in the home.' From the store to your table, the Food safety at home booklet is packed with science-based food-safety advice. It contains: The latest evidence-based recommendations for preparing, cooking, storing, and transporting food safely. Did you know: Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent foodborne illness. Washing them before preparing or eating food helps prevent germs spreading to your food. Updated advice on handling and cooking raw meat and meat products; barbecuing and eating outdoors; keeping at-risk people safe; and how long you can keep leftovers. Did you know: You can keep leftovers for up to 4 days in the fridge if you are going to eat them hot. But leftovers of cooked meals you won't be reheating – like pasta salad – should only be kept for 2 days. Dedicated sections on use-by and best-before dates and advice for shellfish gatherers. Did you know: If a food is past its use-by date, throw it away as it's not safe to eat. But if it's past its best-before and it smells and looks okay, it probably is. Check it, sniff it, taste it – don't waste it. World Food Safety Day - jointly led by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - highlights the importance of food safety for the health, prosperity and wellbeing of people around the world. The theme for 2025 is 'Science in action'. 'Our advice is based on up-to-date science, it's now up to you to take action,' says Mr Arbuckle. You can download your own Food safety at home booklet on our website. And, to celebrate World Food Safety Day,try our quiz on Facebook tomorrow to see how food safety savvy you are.
