10. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
How many patients may have their specialist appointments or elective surgery disrupted if the junior doctors’ strike goes ahead next week?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
I am advised that the district health boards are making contingency plans and that the first priority is patient safety. Life-preserving services arrangements have been concluded with the Resident Doctors Association to ensure that acute and emergency services are covered. Further contingency planning does involve postponing some elective surgery. That contingency planning suggests that around 800 patients may have their elective surgery postponed, and more than 5,500 could have a specialist appointment postponed.
Now that the Minister has confirmed to the House that well over 6,500 patients will have their care disrupted by the junior doctors’ strike, which will make the waiting list even longer, does the Government propose to take any action?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Last time I looked, 5,500 plus 800 was less than 6,500. Be that as it may, the district health boards and the Resident Doctors Association were today continuing their bargaining, as they should do.
Lesley SoperHon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Yes. I am advised that the Resident Doctors Association has asked for a 40 percent increase over 3 years. I am further advised that the district health boards have offered a 4.08 percent increase over each of the next 2 years, and have further offered to discuss a wide range of terms and conditions. I call on both sides to progress their discussions in good faith with a view to ensuring the long-term health benefits of all New Zealanders through a sustainable and well-functioning health system.
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Considerably less than the cost of meeting the demand for a 40 percent pay increase.
Barbara StewartIs the Minister concerned about the effect of the proposed junior doctors’ strike in the Hawke’s Bay, especially in light of the fact that Mr Ryall has given up asking written questions on the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, with a mere three written questions having been asked in the past 9 months?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Obviously, I am concerned that all New Zealanders should be able to maintain confidence in a high-quality and safe health system. That concern also underlay my recent decision in regard to the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. It is of interest that Mr Ryall’s recent adventures in that regard appear to have been designed for the camera rather than the coalface; however, I note that even those theatrics have tailed off, now that he has had the opportunity to read the independent review report.
Is the Minister aware that yesterday the district health board chief executives discussed proposals that senior doctors be paid $500 an hour extra, on top of their current pay rates, for filling in for junior doctors, which would mean that some doctors would be paid $650 an hour to cover junior doctor rosters during the 2-day strike; and is not this more evidence of the health workforce crisis after 9 years of neglect from the Labour Government?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
In the first place, there is no crisis. There are more doctors and nurses in New Zealand’s health system than there were when this Government took office, and a considerable resource injection has assisted workforce development. It is not appropriate for me to set the terms of discussions between senior doctors and the district health boards, but I would like to express my appreciation of the senior medical specialists, who are using good faith to cover a strike that will put considerable inconvenience on them and on other hospital workers.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
What reports has the Minister got, or is getting prepared, in respect of any likely strike in the Hawke’s Bay, or is it the case that having learnt of Mr Ryall going around the press gallery and promising a neutron bomb that turned out to be a Tom Thumb, he is now not too concerned about it?
Is it not another sign of the health workforce crisis in New Zealand when this Government is going to pay up to $650 an hour to senior doctors who cover for junior doctors on strike—cancelling thousands of specialist appointments and many elective surgeries—and is spending $100 million a year on filling vacancies with locums?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
In the first place, the member should get himself acquainted with the facts. I am advised that the true cost of locums is about $24 million a year, not $100 million—or does that member believe every press release from the Resident Doctors Association?
How can the Minister account for his inconsistency in being involved in the senior doctors’ strike but not being involved in the junior doctors’ strike?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
There is absolutely no inconsistency. In the first place, I facilitated a meeting. In the second place, I did so only after the senior doctors’ negotiations had dragged on for nearly 2 years. The junior doctors’ talks have been substantively under way since just before Christmas. The member cannot have it both ways: either he stands for the delivery of elective services for New Zealanders, or he stands for being a drama queen about strikes.