A record number of essential family doctor services have
filed Clause 14 notices saying they are worried about their
ability to deliver services if a nurse pay equity claim is
not fully funded.
More than 155 Clause 14 notices had
been filed by January 31, the most ever on a single
issue.
The action has been sparked by the New
Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) lodging its Primary
Practice Pay Equity Claim against general practice employers
in December last year. Most of the notices have also been
copied to the Minister of Health Hon Dr Shane Reti and Te
Whatu Ora Chief Executive Fepulea’i Margie Apa.
The
notices highlight the concerns general practices have in
their ability to deliver services to New Zealanders, if the
pay equity claim is settled but not fully funded.
The
General Practice Owners Association of Aotearoa New Zealand
(GenPro) has also received copies of the notices. Its’
Chair Dr Angus Chambers says general practices are
supportive of a pay equity claim but worry about
funding.
“Family doctor services have been
struggling with ongoing underfunding for some time and many
are reaching breaking point.”
Dr Chambers says the
notices paint a strong picture of the current perilous state
of general practice. “The reality is many practices are
facing significant financial pressures and so a claim like
this – with no guarantee of funding support – is
incredibly worrying.”
He says the funding model in
place does not enable practices to meet the increases of the
claim and retain the current level of services, which are
already under significant pressure from workforce shortages
and ongoing underfunding.
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He says general practices
value and support their nurses highly.
GenPro would
like the Government to support and fund nurse pay parity.
“We think if the issue of pay parity for nurses was
settled, then this claim and the stress that it is bringing
to practices would be resolved.
“The gap in pay
between general practice nurses and those in Te Whatu
Ora’s hospitals is significant and it’s stripping us of
our workforce, undermining immunisation services and making
it more difficult and more expensive for people to access
their family doctor,” Dr Chambers says.
“The lack
of pay parity is the issue here and an equity claim is an
alternative means to an end, with pay parity being the end
we all want to
see.”
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