26 November 2012:

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says that extensive discussion between unions and Waikato DHB has failed to reassure nurses and allied health staff that their work is taken seriously by the DHB.

The DHB is proposing to cut eight staff at a specialist rehabilitation care unit.

NZNO organiser, Selina Robinson says, “Although over 60 submissions were submitted during the ‘consultation’ process, most of them against the proposal to cut staff, there is no evidence that views contrary to the DHB’s have been taken into consideration.”

"Cutting eight staff from this specialist unit will compromise the quality of care and outcomes for patients."

“It is clear that the proposal to reduce staff has no support from anyone involved in the direct operation of the wards concerned and for very good reason,” Robinson says, “There are better ways to make sure hospitals are running efficiently and that patients are getting the care they need, when they need it.”

“NZNO is currently working in partnership with DHBs to make sure patients get safe and effective care. The safe staffing initiative, care capacity demand management (CCDM), ensures that the right number of skilled and appropriately qualified staff are available to provide care to meet patient demand and minimise the risk of harm.”

“We believe CCDM provides the health system with the right tools to decide the right number of skilled staff to provide the right care to patients. Waikato DHB needs to come on board with the CCDM approach and start making staffing decisions in a sensible and sustainable way.”