Health system in ‘deep trouble’ - union

Health workers in Auckland say they are ‘‘stretched to the maximum’’, and that the picture of the healthcare system being painted by officials is a ‘‘far cry’’ from what they’re facing.

New Zealand Nurses Union organiser Sarah Barker said the country was being told ‘‘over and over’’ that the health system is fine and ‘‘well-placed’’ to handle a Covid-19 surge. ‘‘That might be what DHB executives are reporting, but Auckland nurses say they’re already dealing with caseloads they can’t handle ... people are falling through the cracks right now.’’

Barker was ‘‘really concerned’’ the Government was telling people hospitals could handle a surge, when there were 1000 healthcare worker vacancies across Tā maki Makaurau. ‘‘This isn’t getting any better, and we’re actually in pretty deep trouble’’.

She said nurses don’t want to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, ‘‘but right now that’s about all they have capacity to do’’.

Because of lockdown and the Auckland outbreak, people weren’t coming to hospital emergency departments until they were ‘‘gravely’’ ill, Barker said. There have also been ‘‘huge spikes’’ in people with mental health and social issues and those whose conditions were worsening.

Barker said there weren’t enough nurses to deal with those needs in ‘‘intolerable and unsustainable’’ working conditions, and staff were leaving ‘‘at a rate of knots’’.

‘‘We don’t expect people to work in hazardous workplaces, but nurses are continually being asked to do just that . . . ’’ and were ignored or side-lined when they raise the alarm, she said.

Reprioritising less urgent care to reduce pressure on the health system was not being done, and staffing shortages were not being proactively addressed, she said.

Nurses suggest active recruitment campaigns; free nursing education; and making it cheaper and easier for people to visit their general practitioner could help to alleviate some of the pressure.

The number of cases in the Auckland outbreak has plateaued, and health officials last week announced hospitalisations in the region had ‘‘levelled off’’.

The hospitalisation rate during the outbreak has remained relatively steady: about 11-12 per cent of all cases had ended up in hospital, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield earlier said.

However, the proportion of cases requiring intensive care has dropped from 5.7 per cent over the wider outbreak to 3 per cent in the last month or so.