Latest news with #HealthCharter
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Cancellation Of Health Charter A Giant Step Backwards For Health And Community Support Workers
Hard on the heels of the cancellation of pay equity claims for thousands of hospital, health and community support workers, the Government's announcement today that they're dropping the Te Mauri o Rongo Health Charter is another callous twist of the knife, the PSA says. Minister Simeon Brown's suite of changes to the Pae Ora Act will see, among other things, a repeal of the Te Mauri o Rongo Health Charter. "The Health Charter set out shared values and principles to shape behaviours for how Te Whatu Ora will support and promote a safe working culture across health, including the funded community sector. Now it's gone, with seemingly nothing to replace it," Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says. "Hospital, health, and community support workers are already under immense strain. They're constantly asked to do more with less. And the high frequency of assaults by patients - particularly for mental health workers - is increasingly, frighteningly normalised." The PSA played a critical role in developing the charter, standing up a working group of health and community support workers shortly after Te Whatu Ora was established. It was developed by the health workforce for the health sector, and is a positive framework to lead and support the health system to develop relationships to achieve pae ora (healthy futures). "A functioning health system must commit to supporting their workforce and empowering them to speak out when their safety is compromised. Otherwise we'll just do what New Zealand has done for years, and drive out our highly trained health workforce to sunnier pastures overseas. "The commitment to a well-trained workforce with access to appropriate resources to develop their skills, as well as workers to provide person and whānau-centred services, are a challenge to this Government. "The coalition continues to show us who and what they value. It's very clear that they're continuing to completely under-value the workers, and especially the women workers, who prop up the system to serve New Zealand whānau when they need it most."
NZ Herald
15-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Health NZ confirms 377 roles cut, despite ongoing legal challenge
Of those, Thursday's announcement relates to 377 roles. Health NZ acting head of human resources Fiona McCarthy said the changes were part of its 'ongoing effort toward a sustainable future for New Zealand healthcare'. While implementation of the final decisions for Hauora Māori services, audit, assurance and risk and Pacific health would begin immediately, the changes for planning, funding and outcomes and procurement and supply chain services were paused for now, because of the legal challenge. 'Notwithstanding this legal action, we decided to release these decisions out of concern for the length of time our staff have been waiting for these change processes to conclude,' she said. 'Some staff have been waiting since last year and, with consultations finished in February, we felt it was fairer to all staff to release the decisions now to give people greater clarity over what our thinking is and what it might mean for them. We will continue to work with the PSA to try and resolve the legal proceedings during the coming weeks.' Thursday's announcements regard: Hauora Māori services Pacific health Procurement, supply chain and health technology management Planning, funding and outcomes (the former service improvement and innovation teams) Audit, assurance and risk For all five services, senior leaders met with their teams and affected individuals to talk through the decisions and any next steps, McCarthy said. 'We appreciate these are difficult times for those concerned and a range of support is available.' Union vows to fight on The total number of jobs being cut was not yet clear, said the union. A spokesperson said there would be no change in some areas, until the legal challenge was resolved. PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the union 'strongly opposes' Health NZ's final decisions. 'These decisions include the possible loss of specialists procurement, auditing and health innovation and improvement,' she said. 'The possible loss of these roles has been forced on Health NZ by the Government imposing cuts to our health system that will affect patients. 'We call on Government to stop these endless cuts to our health system. 'This is why we are still fighting this in the Employment Relations Authority, which is why this will not be implemented until the authority has heard and determined the matter, or the PSA and Health New Zealand have settled it by agreement.' Advertise with NZME. In February, the union filed legal proceedings in the Employment Relations Authority over several proposed restructures on the grounds they breached the Code of Good Faith for the public health sector, the Employment Relations Act 2000, collective agreements and Te Mauri o Rongo - NZ Health Charter. 'We'll be making it clear to all our members that legal action is still going ahead and we strongly oppose these Health NZ changes.' Last month, the PSA agreed a settlement with Health NZ to stop the restructuring of the National Public Health Service and two directorates in the planning, funding and outcomes business unit - data and analytics, community mental health funding and investment, and data and digital services. Earlier on Thursday, the PSA also announced further litigation against Health NZ to stop cuts to their audit, assurance and risk, people and culture, finance stage 1, and communications and engagement teams.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
PSA Strongly Opposes Decisions Released By Health NZ - Further Dismantling Of Our Public Health System By Government
The PSA strongly opposes final decisions released by Health New Zealand for the following teams: Procurement, Supply Chain and Health Technology Management (PSC&HTM), Planning, Funding and Outcomes, and Audit, Assurance & Risk. "These decisions include the possible loss of specialists procurement, auditing and health innovation and improvement," Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, said. "The possible loss of these roles has been forced on Health NZ by the Government imposing cuts to our health system that will affect patients. We call on Government to stop these endless cuts to our health system. "This is why we are still fighting this in the Employment Relations Authority, which is why this will not be implemented until the Authority has heard and determined the matter or the PSA and Health New Zealand have settled it by agreement." The union filed these legal proceedings in the Employment Relations Authority in February because several proposed restructures breached the Code of Good Faith for the public health sector, the Employment Relations Act 2000, collective agreements and Te Mauri o Rongo - NZ Health Charter. "We'll be making it clear to all our members that legal action is still going ahead and we strongly oppose these Health NZ changes." Last month, the PSA agreed a settlement with Health NZ stopping the restructuring of the National Public Health Service and two directorates in the Planning Funding and Outcomes business unit: Data and Analytics, Community Mental Health Funding and Investment, and Data and Digital Services. Litigation remains in place for Planning Funding and Outcomes (Former Service Improvement and Innovation functions): Te Whatu Ora Improve; Evidence, Research and Clinical Trial; Operations; Population Health Gain; Consumer Whanau Voice; Former Office of the Chief Executive (OCE): Strategic Planning and Procurement Supply Chain and Health Technology Management. Earlier today, the PSA also announced further litigation against Health NZ to stop another round of cuts to their Audit, Assurance and Risk, People and Culture, Finance Stage 1, and Communications and Engagement teams. Precious PSA statements:
