Primary Health Care Wage Agreement Reached But Pay Parity Still Needed To Retain Nurses

New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi
Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) primary health care members have
agreed to an 8% wage increase over 12 months but pay parity
with their hospital counterparts is still needed to retain
nurses in the sector.

NZNO’s College of Primary
Health Care Nurses chair Tracey Morgan says there was
overwhelming support for the Multi Employment Collective
Agreement offer for an immediate increase of 5% followed by
a further 3% in July.

“This is good news for primary
and community care nurses. However, their base hourly rate
remains on average about 10% below Te Whatu Ora nurses
despite having the same skills and
qualifications.

“Until primary and community care
nurses are paid the same, they will continue to leave GPs
and iwi and community clinics for better paid hospital jobs
here and overseas.”

A recent Victoria University of
Wellington study found 36% of New Zealand’s general
practices didn’t take new enrolments last year, with
workforce shortages cited as the major reason people were
being turned away.

“If people can’t get the health
care they need in their communities, they end up at hospital
even sicker. This puts more pressure on our already
stretched hospitals,” Tracey Morgan says.

“NZNO urges
the Government to fulfil its pre-election commitment to pay
primary care nurses the same as their hospital counterparts
and introduce a sustainable funding model for the primary
care
sector.”

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