Summarised by Centrist
More than 5000 senior doctors will strike on 1 May after mediation between Health NZ and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) collapsed, postponing about 4300 planned treatments and assessments.
Health NZ deputy chief executive Cath Cronin said the agency was “deeply disappointed” the union refused to present the latest offer to members, adding, “We value our doctors and want to do the best we can for them, but the reality is that Health NZ has limited budget available for salary settlements within its tight financial constraints.”
Health NZ offered first-year specialists a 9.5 per cent pay rise and lump sum payments for senior doctors, plus extra incentives in hard-to-staff regions. Cronin said the proposals were “fair and realistic” and aimed at retention.
But ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton rejected the offer, saying it was “worse than what was originally on the table” and amounted to “less than 0.77 per cent on average” for most members. “It will drive existing doctors away rather than help retain them,” she warned.
Health Minister Simeon Brown blamed the union for choosing strike action, saying, “By choosing to strike, thousands of patients will have surgeries and specialist appointments cancelled, a further delay in care for patients who have already been waiting too long.”
Hospitals and emergency departments will remain open, with life-preserving services maintained during the strike.
