Health NZ accused of dropping 'safe staffing' from nurses' pay 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 that in an earlier offer, Te Whatu Ora had 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 percent) of all wards were understaffed 20 percent 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 on Friday, 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.
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