Statement attributable to Dr Richard Sullivan, Chief Clinical Officer Health New Zealand| Te Whatu Ora

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is very concerned about the impact on patient care due to the planned strike by senior doctors who are members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).

We have been notified that doctors who are members of the ASMS plan to strike for 24 hours on 1 May.

We are disappointed that this planned strike action will impact on the work our teams are doing to bring down wait times for New Zealanders and will result in further delays for people who need care.

The strike action, should it go ahead, could cause the cancellation of around 4300 planned care procedures or first specialist appointments. In addition, 3000-4300 radiology (including MRI/CT/Ultrasound) procedures would need to be postponed.

We remain focussed on reaching a settlement with ASMS and avoid any disruption to patients and the wider health system.  We believe that proposals presented in bargaining to date are fair given the current economic situation

We will work with ASMS to ensure the continued delivery of critical hospital services continue and to minimise the impact of the strike on other care services.

Should the strike action go ahead our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open and health professionals will still be available to ensure the continued availability of critical health services for those who need them.

To maintain patient safety, some clinics will be closed and planned care appointments will be postponed. All patients impacted by the strike will be contacted directly by hospital staff.

Any appointments that are deferred due to the strike action will be rescheduled for the next available opportunity.

Our advice for all patients should the strike go ahead is:

  • all emergency departments will remain open and hospital patients will receive safe care
  • unless you are contacted directly, please attend any scheduled outpatient appointment or treatment
  • people with non-urgent ailments or injuries should contact their GP in the first instance. Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice.