Unis reject students’ request to freeze clinical placements

A medical student says clinicians have told her it would be unsafe to attend a hospital placement during a doctors’ strike next week, but her university expects her to attend.

It comes after Otago and Auckland universities rejected a plea from the Medical Students’ Association to freeze training on May 7 when about 2500 junior doctors will strike over pay and working conditions.

The student, who The Post agreed not to name, is part way through a clinical placement at a North Island hospital, one of about 600 trainee doctors who will be on hospital placements during the strike.

She had been told in an email from Otago University that students were expected to attend their placements during the strike, but the clinical team she’s working with said it would be unsafe.

“I’m just really confused ... I feel like I can’t tell the university I’m not going,” she said, fearing blowback from lecturers, some of whom also worked as consultants in hospitals.

If she did attend, she would be extremely nervous, she said. “I’m only just coming to terms with how things work ... I would really struggle.”

Medical students were behind the kaupapa of the strike, but many feared they would be put in unsafe situations in already understaffed hospitals, Indira Fernando, president of the NZ Medical Students’ Association said.

Fernando asked the universities to permit trainees to do non-clinical work on the day of the strike, given junior doctors were the main supervisors and clinical teachers for the students.

“With their numbers seriously depleted a clinical placement would be of little educational value, while also putting students at increased risk of being asked to take on excess clinical responsibilities,” Fernando wrote to the universities.

Both Otago and Auckland universities confirmed they rejected the association’s request for a blanket ban on clinical placements, but told students they should not do anything beyond what would normally be expected.

Asked what they should do if a student received conflicting advice, Otago Medical School’s acting dean Tim Wilkinson said they should contact their immediate supervisor “and this can be escalated if needed”.

Final-year medical students must continue ward placements during any strike period “to ensure they keep gaining clinical experience to fulfil their academic requirements”, Wilkinson said.

Auckland University said students with concerns should talk to their local site lead or university year director who could talk to their clinical team.

While universities are responsible for the safety of trainees, it’s understood placements can be stopped by clinical teams at any point if there is a risk to safety.

But Fernando said there remained a “growing trend” where medical students were being pushed to do more than they were qualified or legally allowed to do, and without appropriate supervision given the massive workforce shortages.

“This is an issue about understaffing in our hospitals ... our future doctors are in serious peril legally and safety wise.”

Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora said clinical placements for strike day were being assessed on a case-by-case basis with safety the top priority.

“Guidance has been provided to our contingency planning teams regarding the role of students on clinical placement.

“If a clinical placement during a strike creates clinical risk (to patients, the student or other staff) then the placement should be cancelled for the day,” chief people officer Andrew Slater said.

This clinical risk would also be assessed through the day, the agency confirmed.

Dr Deborah Powell, national secretary for the Resident Doctors’ Association (NZRDA), which is behind the strike, called the move to proceed with clinical placements an excuse for free labour.

“And by doing this the universities are complicit in strike breaking.”

Strike breaking is an action intended to disrupt a strike or diminish its impact.

“The students shouldn’t be in a clinical environment ... the rest of the doctors working will be very much focused on direct patient care.” Powell said.

The strike is set to last for 25 hours from 7am on Tuesday.