Mark Shepherd: Health NZ Deputy CEO on the striking nurses, midwives, and health workers

Health New Zealand says it's committed to reaching a settlement with nurses. 

About 36,000 nurses, midwives, and health workers walk off the job between 11am and 7pm today. 

They say they're overworked and understaffed, which is threatening patient safety. 

Health New Zealand Deputy Chief Executive Mark Shepherd told Mike Hosking he's disappointed nurses are striking so early in the bargaining process. 

But he says hospitals are fully prepared to manage the strikes. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We find the nurses are back on strike again today
About thirty six thousand nurses midwife's healthcare assistance are out
this time. They're arguing patient safety, apparently, Health New Zealand
Deputy Chief Executive for the Northern Region Mark Shepherd with us, good.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Morning, Good morning, Mike. I thanks for having it not at.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
All, so another day another strike. Seems like a beleagued,
unhappy sort of place, is it.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
I wouldn't say that is the beginning of a bargaining
process with the New Zealand Nurse Association and we're a
little disappointed the strike has happened so soon, but we're
fully prepared in our hospitals to meet the challenges.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
How far through the process are you?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
It's only relatively early bargaining. How he started over a
month ago. We do have some date set in early
New year to continue the discussions and I think that's
an important part of understanding issues for nurses and being
able to move forward together.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
They're arguing patient safety. Is it about patient safety or
is it about money?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I saw as it's a balance of both, and you'd
have to ask us them they're view on patient safety.
We believe we've got a safe organization has continued to
work with the unions. There's more nurses on the floor
in this Zealent hospitals than ever before. Have thirty five
thousand nurses just in the last twelve months, an additional

(01:21):
three eight hundred nurses on the floor out there caring
for patients in our community. So we believe we've done
a lot to respond to patient safety discussion.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
That's the forgotten part of the story. I think people
are confused, aren't they, Because I mean, all the headlines
are about the people who can't get work and the
hiring freeze and all that sort of stuff. The simple
fact of the matter is there's a mismatch going on.
Correct me if I'm wrong, But there are job openings
in certain areas of the health sector not in others.
You have put more people, as you say, on the floor,
and therefore you are growing the workforce. Is all of

(01:54):
that correct?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
That is absolutely correct, and that's ongoing. Only in the
last as the commissioner. Commissioner announced an additional fifty senior
medical stuff and also additional tanbergion dollar targeted fund for
specific nursing roles for specific areas. But those sorts of
things are ongoing.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Okay, so on going on strike between eleven and seven,
I mean, there's no answer to this. But when you
go on strike between eleven and seven, what does that achieve?
I mean, what changes here?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
I suppose really with New Dancer Union, what they think
they're below they achieve. I mean, I suppose it's making
a statement and during attention to the issue that there
there's some strength of an united sort of front with
the nurses around wanting a fair pace. That's my assumptions.

(02:51):
At the end of the day, what's really important is
anybody staying in hospital during the strike will receive the
care and support they need. You have well developed plans
right across the system to ensure that healthcare delivery continues.
We have pared back some of our non urgent care
things are pain care like might be appointment or non

(03:15):
urgent surgeries, and we will look to reschedule those surgeries
or treatments as soon as possible. Anything that is time
critical will continue, and all emergency departments and kids services
remain open in.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Functions all right, Mike, appreciate it. Mike Shepard out of
Health New Zealand. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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