Cuts see health staff rack up millions of annual leave hours
new-zealand-labour-party
Mon Jan 18 2016 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Cuts see health staff rack up millions of annual leave hours
Monday, 18 January 2016, 3:54 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
18 January 2016
Cuts see health staff rack up millions of annual leave hours
The Government’s cuts to the health sector have left doctors and nurses overworked and stretched to breaking point, with more than eight million hours of annual leave currently owed, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King.
“National has cut $1.7 billion from the health budget over six years. We’re now seeing the results - health professionals and other DHB staff so overworked they have had to put off taking millions of hours of annual leave.
“Information obtained by Labour shows that staff in 18 DHB regions were owed 8.6 million hours in annual leave to the end of June last year.
“That means staff have in those DHBs have an average of 146 hours – more than two weeks – of leave they haven’t been able to take.
“Such large numbers of missed holidays show just how stretched our health sector has become under National – thousands of health professionals putting off a break because there is no one to cover when they are away.
“The spectre of tired, overworked medical staff making mistakes should surely ring alarm bells. Only last week the nurses’ organisation was saying its members are increasingly being asked to take on more responsibilities and heavier workloads.
“Our health workers are making a heroic effort to continue to care for Kiwis despite the lack of resources from the Government.
“Most of us had a break over Christmas. Patients shouldn’t have to rely on their health professionals giving up their holidays so they can get the care they need,” says Annette King.
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Number of hours owing in Annual Leave at 30 June 2015 in 18 district health boards
District Health Board
Number of hours
Bay of Plenty
523,769
Canterbury
1,177,631
Capital & Coast
852,446
Counties Manukau
1,110,891
Hawke's Bay
299,398
Hutt Valley
322,420
Lakes
189,056
MidCentral
439,668
Nelson-Marlborough
291,309
Northland
395,880
Southern
617,578
Tairawhiti
94,937
Taranaki
263,834
Waikato
615,213
Wairarapa
74,943
Waitemata
1,140,510
West Coast
102,608
Whanganui
106,748
Total
8,618,839
ends
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