Anaesthetic technicians to strike
Anaesthetic technicians at Southland Hospital say they will strike for 24 hours from this morning.
Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary of APEX, the union representing the anaesthetic technicians, said the technicians had been in negotiations with the Southern District Health Board for a year before deciding to strike. ‘‘In Southland they need nine technicians and they have six so they are a third down. It is very hard to cover a service 24-7 with only six people,’’ Powell said.
Only the technicians at Southland Hospital will go on strike and it is understood the action will be taken by five of six technicians employed at the hospital.
‘‘There is a national shortage of technicians and we are trying to solve problems locally,’’ Powell said.
‘‘In Southland they are in a far more perilous position than their cousins in Dunedin.’’
The technicians have three primary claims: safe staffing levels and adequate staff pipeline, professional development and recognition of clinical responsibility.
In a statement, the technicians said key among the claims is the requirement for to employ one new anaesthetic technician trainee each year at Southland Hospital to ensure adequate staffing levels for the future.
They are also asking for a minimum of nine staff on the roster to allow for adequate sleep after on-call and call-back duties, and professional development funding so they can meet the Medical Sciences Council’s requirements.
Powell said the strike was also about ensuring safe healthcare for Southlanders.
‘‘It is a common occurrence for paediatric MRIs and paediatric dental surgeries to be cancelled because of insufficient anaesthetic technician resource.’’
The health board may need to postpone some elective surgery but it will have enough staff to proceed with several surgeries.
The board said patients booked in for surgery had already been informed their surgery may be postponed at the last minute to ensure the safety of patients.
The usual acute theatres at the hospital and other services would function as usual, including the emergency department, the board said.