Whakatāne Hospital senior doctors and nurses say they were forced to strike

Medical staff at Whakatāne Hospital made the difficult decision to strike today, following years of frustration and anger over what they describe as severe understaffing at the hospital.

Chan Dixon, Industrial Officer for the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), representing senior doctors and dentists, told 1XX News that union members are particularly concerned about the situation at Whakatāne Hospital.

In December, Pauline McGrath, Group Director of Operations for the Bay of Plenty, acknowledged the challenges in staffing, noting that specialist workforce shortages led to the temporary closure of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) services at Whakatāne Hospital from mid-January.

In a statement, Dr Richard Sullivan, Chief Clinical Officer at Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), confirmed that senior doctors, members of ASMS, would be on strike today (Thursday, 1 May), from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. He estimated that up to 4,300 planned procedures would be postponed due to the strike, further delaying treatment for patients already facing long waiting times.

“We are disappointed by the union’s decision to reject our offer,” Dr Sullivan said. “We believe it was a fair and reasonable proposal, especially given the budget constraints and the current economic environment."

Under the rejected offer, senior doctors would have received base pay increases ranging from $8,093 to $29,911 over two years, depending on experience. Additionally, doctors at step 4 to step 15 would have received a lump sum payment of $8,000.

Dr Sullivan assured that any appointments deferred due to the strike would be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity.

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