Emergencies only during doctors’ strike
The Hutt Valley Hospital is only offering emergency services during a 73-hour strike which started at 7am yesterday.
Close to 1200 patients in the wider Wellington region and Hawke’s Bay have had outpatient or elective surgeries postponed as thousands of junior doctors walk off the job in a strike over safer hours.
The emergency departments at Capital & Coast DHB, Hawke’s Bay DHB and Hutt Valley DHB will remain open during the strike, with each health board urging the public to use them only in an absolute emergency.
‘‘All we ask is that people remember we will be under pressure, and they should see their GP or after-hours clinic unless it’s an emergency,’’ Hutt Valley DHB chief operating officer Dale Oliff said.
It’s the second strike over safer rosters, led by the New Zealand Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA). The first was in October and ran for 48 hours.
RNZ reported union claims that the second strike could have been avoided if the DHBs could ratify an agreement in time.
‘‘We actually have what’s very close to being a done deal on the table, but the reason we have to strike is that the CEOs
NUMBERS AFFECTED
Capital & Coast: 576 Hutt Valley: 233 Hawke’s Bay: 430 Waikato: 500 Bay of Plenty: 350 Auckland, CountiesManukau, Waitemata and Northland: 2200 won’t meet with us and they won’t meet with each other, to actually confirm or make an offer,’’ NZRDA negotiator Sam Holford said.
Lead chief executive for the DHBs Julie Patterson responded that negotiators went as far as they could, and would present terms to health board representatives on January 19.
A DHB Shared Services spokesman did not respond to requests for further comment.