Yet another year of hospital strike action?
new-zealand-national-party
Wed Apr 11 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Yet another year of hospital strike action?
Wednesday, 11 April 2007, 10:01 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Hon Tony Ryall MP National Party Health Spokesman
11 April 2007
Yet another year of hospital strike action?
The Health Minister's inaction means many hundreds of patients are missing out on treatment today, says National's Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.
"Pete Hodgson needs to be knocking heads together to prevent even more people missing out on the care they deserve."
Lab workers have walked off the job for two days, leaving hospitals around the country no choice but to cancel surgery and scale back outpatient appointments. Mr Ryall fears a repeat of last year's never-ending strike action which saw thousands of operations cancelled and radiation treatment waiting times balloon.
"Talks between the lab workers union and DHBs have been going on for 13 months. Already this year radiation therapists have taken industrial action, and next week radiographers are planning to strike for up to four days.
"Senior doctors are still in industrial negotiations and the 20,000 nurses employed in public hospitals have also begun bargaining with DHBs.
"Labour's divisive approach to industrial relations in the health sector is costing hundreds of patients surgery."
ENDS
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