DHB clawbacks ‘dangerous’
Junior doctors are not shying away from work but just want to have some time away like other jobs give people, says a junior doctor based at Timaru Hospital, who has joined the national 48-hour strike.
The New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association industrial action, that began at 7am yesterday, saw 25 of the region’s junior doctors join about 3000 of their colleagues from throughout New Zealand on strike after talks between the union and district health boards (DHBs) broke down.
Dr James Strickland, of Timaru, said clawbacks by the DHBs had left junior doctors disgruntled and ‘‘exposed to disruptive and dangerous work conditions’’.
‘‘This is not a Timaru problem,’’ Strickland said.
‘‘It is a national grievance because it is a nationally negotiated contract with DHBs.
‘‘We had a contract that was negotiated and satisfied both parties about three years ago. There was an agreement and consistency but that has fallen away.’’
Strickland said he and his partner, who is also a junior doctor at Timaru Hospital, were ‘‘just recuperating after working the weekend’’.
‘‘She worked two 15-hour days, and myself one, over the weekend.’’
He said junior doctors wanted to keep their current contracts which also involved working 10 days straight.
‘‘We’re happy and want to compromise with a 60-hour work week but the DHBs want to push it further.’’
He said junior doctors received four days off after working 10 days straight, but they felt hard done by after changes were made to the roster.
They had compromised with the DHBs to get money deducted from their pay so they were technically working a five-day week on average, he said.
‘‘We agreed to this to get the roster. Now the DHB wants to increase the deductions so we only really get paid for seven out of 10 days worked. I don’t think anyone would be happy with this.’’
He said the formation of the Stonz (Specialty Trainees of New Zealand) Union had complicated negotiations with DHBs further.
‘‘The real grievance is that there is a second union that the DHBs have chosen to negotiate with. It does not mean one size fits all. Stonz represents the surgical trainees, it is not for the general junior medical staff.’’
Strickland said the junior doctors had received a ‘‘really good response’’ from the South Canterbury DHB.
‘‘Like every DHB, which is looking at costs and negotiating rosters, they’re more shaped towards what the DHBs as a collective wants. I do appreciate the goodwill the SCDHB has towards its junior medical staff,’’ he said.
DHB spokesman Dr Peter Bramley said the boards wanted to ensure resident medical officers were properly involved in decisions about their rosters and work placements.
‘‘DHBs have not requested any change to the provision that a duty shift shall not exceed 16 consecutive hours,’’ he said.
The impact of working long shifts was a key driver in the DHBs desire to introduce more flexible rostering, with consultation and involvement of local clinicians and hospital managers, Bramley said.
‘‘DHBs are committed to being good employers supporting safe care and safe working conditions.’’
Bramley said the DHBs will continue to bargain in good faith and believe their offer will maintain safe working rosters and promote better continuity of care and enhance opportunities for doctors who are in training.