The biggest nurses’ union is accusing Health NZ of putting money ahead of safety by dropping a safe staffing agreement from its latest contract offer.
Negotiations, which began last October, have stalled over what the Nurses Organisation called “big ticket items” centred on public safety, leading to a nationwide strike in December.
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said in an earlier offer, Te Whatu Ora committed to acting on safe staffing research they had agreed to do together.
“Te Whatu Ora has removed that from their latest offer without explanation. This demonstrates their focus is on cost cutting, not patient safety.”
A survey of members showed understaffing was putting patients at risk, he said.
“Overworked staff are unable to give patients the care they need and leads to staff burnout.”
Figures for 631 wards using the safe staffing (Care Capacity Demand Management programme) – obtained by the union under the Official Information Act – showed ongoing nursing shortages, Goulter said.
“These figures show from January to October last year almost half (or 47.1%) of all wards were understaffed 20% of the time. That means nurses and health care assistants are working in understaffed wards at least one shift a week.
“We are also continuing to see acute levels of understaffing in emergency departments, mental health, women’s health and children’s wards.”
In an interview with RNZ’s Morning Report programme today, Te Whatu Ora acting chief executive Robyn Shearer said it was difficult to resolve clinical need through collective bargaining.
“It’s not an easy thing to put into settlement agreement, but we do have operational policies which look at safe staffing and rostering and that continues,” she said.
However, Goulter said safe staffing had to be central to any agreement.
“It is concerning that Robyn Shearer isn’t aware CCDM has been in the Te Whatu Ora/NZNO collective agreement since 2010,” he said.
RNZ asked Te Whatu Ora for its response to the union’s claim it was putting cost-cutting ahead of patient safety by removing the commitment to safe staffing, and whether the Care Capacity Demand Management programme was on hold.
However, a spokesperson said the agency had nothing further to add to its earlier statement and Robyn Shearer’s interview.
rnz.co.nz
