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RNZ News
18 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
What you need to know about Wednesday's nurses strike
Nurses held an 8-hour strike last December. A new strike is planned for 24 hours on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Nurses are going on strike on Wednesday. About 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will be off the job from 9am Wednesday to 9am Thursday. Last-ditch negotiations on Monday failed to reach an agreement . There will be pickets and marches throughout the country. Nurses are concerned about staffing levels and safety . The latest pay offer was also dismissed as a "massive backward step" . Health NZ is offering a 3 percent pay rise over 27 months, plus two lump sum payments of $325. NZNO's counter-offer seeks a 5 percent pay rise over two years, along with $2000 flat rate increases for senior positions. The union also seeks to restore a Tikanga Māori allowance. "The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance, and penal rates, is $125,662, Health NZ said . "Members also need a wage offer that enables them to meet the rising cost of living without them and their whānau going backwards financially for the important mahi they do," said Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. "We believe the offer we have made to the union is a fair one given our current financial constraints," Health NZ said. In a statement, Health New Zealand said "we are disappointed that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is taking strike action when there is a fair offer on the table." "We are concerned about the impact strike action will have on patients who are waiting for planned care." Goulter said the latest offer from Health New Zealand ignores worries about safe staffing . "Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can't give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people." A safe staffing agreement was dropped from negotiations with Health New Zealand. Figures obtained by NZNO from Health New Zealand show surgical hospital wards were short-staffed more than half of all day shifts last year. Health New Zealand said in their statement it also seeks to keep nurses and patients safe. "While we are aware of NZNO's commentary in recent weeks we would like to reassure New Zealanders that Health NZ is completely committed to safe staffing. "For us safe staffing in a busy hospital environment includes the skills mix of the staff, the way care is provided, strong clinical judgement, flexibility and thoughtful decision making from our experienced leaders on the frontline. We take responsibility for operational and patient safety decisions seriously as we are accountable for the safety of patients who access our services." Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Goulter said the key issue was making sure there was enough staff to "ensure patient safety", which was "foremost in the minds of our members" during negotiations. "While, obviously, there's a wage element, we're trying to do our best to ensure we get staffing that's appropriate to meet what patients need and we seem to have come up short on that," he told RNZ recently. Negotiations began last October, but the union said bargaining had stalled over "big ticket items" centred on public safety. Nurses also walked off the job in strike in December for eight hours. "We are striking because patient safety is at risk every day due to chronic understaffing and under-resourcing," Wellington nurse Hilary Gardner said. "We simply don't have enough nurses to provide the level of care our patients need and deserve. It's not safe, and it's not fair - for patients, their whānau, or the staff trying to care for them. We've raised concerns time and time again, but nothing changes - so now we're taking action to stand up for safer care." Acute and emergency services will still be provided, including maternity care, intensive care, ambulance services and emergency departments. Patients already in hospital will still receive ongoing care. "... The public can be reassured that we have an agreement with NZNO for life preserving services support throughout the strike and our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open," Health NZ Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley said. "To maintain patient safety, most clinics will be closed. However, if you have a hospital appointment, please come to your appointment unless we have contacted you directly to reschedule." However, most appointments for the strike days will be rescheduled. "It is estimated that 4300 planned procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed should the 24-hour strike action on 30 and 31 July go ahead," Dr Bramley said. Aged residential care, St John Ambulance, GPs and hospice services are not affected by the strike and will carry on as normal. Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The union does not rule out further action if their concerns aren't met, Goulter said. "Our members have indicated this strike is just the beginning and they are in it for the long haul." "Our members don't take this action lightly. They are striking because they are exasperated with being short-staffed and their patients being put at risk because Te Whatu Ora refuses to resource safe staffing levels and instead staffs to an arbitrary budget set by the government. "The public know that when there aren't enough nurses, patients wait longer to get the care they need. Critical observations and treatments may be delayed, errors are more likely and health outcomes worsen. A lack of nurses has reduced numbers of elective surgeries for years and contributed to longer waiting times and the current backlog. "Any member of the public who has been to a hospital recently knows the reality for patients and the nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora who care for them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Nurses expected to vote to reject proposed pay deal
Nurses in England are expected to 'overwhelmingly' reject a proposed 3.6% pay rise, it has been reported. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has been balloting its members over the prospective pay rise, which was accepted by the Government in May. BBC reports suggest the offer will be firmly rejected by nursing staff. The RCN previously described the award as 'grotesque', saying it will see nursing staff receive a pay rise 'entirely swallowed up by inflation' – with doctors, teachers, prison officers and the armed forces all receiving a bigger increase. Any decision on strike action would not be made until later in the year, the public broadcaster reports. It comes days after GMB health workers, including ambulance crews, rejected the Government's pay deal. The union said its members voted by 67% against the 3.6% pay award offered for 2025/26 in England. GMB has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for an urgent meeting to discuss pay and other issues of importance to its members working across the NHS and ambulance services. Rachel Harrison, GMB national secretary, said: 'We await his reply with interest.' The GMB represents about 50,000 health workers, including 20,000 in the ambulance service. The announcement was made on the first day of a five-day strike by resident doctors, also over pay. The RCN has been contacted for comment.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Over 36,000 nurses, midwives to strike for 24 hours on Wednesday
Nurses striking in Auckland on 3 December, 2024. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Last-ditch talks between Health NZ and the country's biggest nurses' union on Monday have failed to avert a nationwide strike later this week. More than 36,000 nurses, midwives, heatlhcare assistants and kaimahi hauora are set to walk off the job for 24 hours from 9am on Wednesday. Health NZ said the latest bargaining meeting with the Nurses Organisation on Monday had not resolved all the outstanding issues, but there were contingency plans in place to ensure patient safety during the strike. It estimated about 4300 procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed as a result.. NZNO chief executive Paul Goutler said its members were "exasperated" by Health NZ's refusal to acknowledge chronic short-staffing through negotiations, which began last September. "Short-staffing not only puts patients at risk, it impacts on the number of procedures and assessments hospitals can carry out, adding to wait times. "Nurses, midwives and health care assistants want to give their patients the care they need, when they need it. Instead they are stretched too thin and their patients are forced to wait for care. This can lead to unnecessary pain and discomfort for patients and heartbreak for their friends and whānau watching them suffer." There was such a dire lack of health care assistants at Christchurch Hospital recently that whānau were asked to come in and help their loved ones, he said. NZNO president and Dunedin nurse Anne Daniels said in 45 years of nursing, she had never seen the public health system "in such a state of failure". "We have far too few nurses to provide safe and timely care. That is hurting our patients, and it is heartbreaking for us to go to work each day knowing that despite all our best efforts there are just not enough of us to stop the escalating avoidable patient harm. "Nurses are not being recruited to replace those who are leaving in their thousands, and nurses are not being paid competitively to keep them in New Zealand. Our work conditions are desperate, and that takes a toll on us all every day. That's why I am striking." Health NZ was disappointed at the strike action "when there is a fair offer on the table". "We are concerned about the impact strike action will have on patients who are waiting for planned care. "We appreciate it is never an easy decision for any of our nurses to strike. We sincerely thank the nurses who will be delivering life preserving services and all the volunteers who will be supporting our clinical services during the strike period." It said it was committted to safe staffing and its offer was fair given its financial contraints. "The offer rejected by the union would see a new graduate nurse on $75,773 gain a total pay increase of $8337 (or 11 percent) by the end of June 2026 once step progression is included. A registered nurse on the highest step with a base salary of $106,739 would see their pay increase by $3224 to $109,963 by the end of June 2026." The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime and allowances, was $125,662, Health NZ said. It's advising patients: Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Nurses union to reject pay deal as strike vote looms
Nurses will overwhelmingly reject their pay award in England this week, raising the possibility of strikes later in the year, the BBC Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has been holding a consultative vote on their 3.6% pay rise, previously describing it as "grotesque" to award nurses a lower increase than doctors, teachers, prison officers and the armed decision on formal strike action would not be made until later in the government accepted in May the pay review body's recommendations of a 3.6% rise for nurses this year. The union will announce the results of its indicative vote later this week but the BBC understands it will show an "overwhelming" rejection of the turnout is expected to be well over the 50% threshold needed for industrial union will demand ministers negotiate over the summer to avoid a formal ballot for strike action in the RCN is understood to be open to talks on wider pay structures, not just headline pay.A union spokesman said: "The results will be announced to our members later this week. As the largest part of the NHS workforce, nursing staff do not feel valued and the government must urgently begin to turn that around."On Friday the GMB union representing thousands of health workers, including ambulance crews, rejected the government's pay deal in an initial consultative GMB said its members voted by 67% against the 3.6% pay award offered for 2025/26 in union has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for an urgent meeting to discuss pay and other national secretary Rachel Harrison said: "Our national NHS and ambulance committees met on 24 July to discuss the ballot results and determine what the next steps should be."Today, we have written to Secretary of State Wes Streeting, asking him to meet with us to discuss pay and other issues of significant importance to GMB members."We await his reply with interest."Thousands of resident doctors in England, previously known as junior doctors, began a five-day strike on Friday after the government and the British Medical Association failed to reach an agreement over health secretary said while it was not possible to eliminate disruption to the NHS, it was being kept to a minimum.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Nurses' views should be heard - Jersey's health minister says
Nurses should have more say over the future of the health service, Jersey's health minister has said. Deputy Tom Binet said that nurses have an important contribution to make as the "people who are hands-on". It comes after he met with Nicola Ranger, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), who visited the island on Wednesday and said it was "vital" for nurses to sit in during senior to her comments, Binet agreed, stating: "As a principle, I think it is extremely good and I think it's something we should be adopting even more than we are doing already." Ms Ranger described her visit and meeting with Binet as positive, adding that she felt her "message was really heard".Binet said: "I've been in business for many years, and I've found as the organisation gets bigger, by going back to the ground floor, you can often find out where the problems are."
