More than 800 South Island hospital staff will strike today

1 comments | Post Comment

Print Text Size:

More than 800 hospital staff will strike for an hour today

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 7:09a.m.

More than 800 hospital workers will be striking for an hour today over pay.

The Public Service Association says admin staff at the six South Island District Health Boards are unhappy at the lower pay they receive compared to their North Island counterparts.

But PSA spokesman Warick Jones is adamant it will not have any affect on patient care.

"They are the only occupational group employed by the DHBs that don't have national rates of pay and we think that is very unfair and needs to be addressed immediately."

Mr Jones says more action will take place next week but will not comment on what it will be.

RadioLIVE

Become a fan of 3 News on Facebook and on Twitter.

Auckland DHB could nix staff smoking

DHBs say agreement reached with lab workers

Kiwis face shorter wait for cancer treatment

Spirit Airlines makes a deal to end pilots' strike

Teen campaign to save youth health centre

DHB fraudster to serve new sentence concurrently

Five DHBs to merge PHOs, one moves to scrap them

Wellington Zoo boasts new animal hospital

Surgeon found in breach of health and disability code

Miners in month-long dispute accept pay offer

Comments [1]

Chris Stiedl

08 Dec 2009 10:45p.m.

Sadly enough due to strike or not I was most disappointed with the irresponsible behaviour I today encountered at Christchurch Public Hospital. My 80 year old father had been admitted (also took nearly 9 hours from the emergency department to the actual ward)with a heart attack and has been treated to recover. His general condition is not the best having renal failure, diabetes, a hernia and a very poor heart condition. He was to be discharged today and we were told we would be notified by a phone call. I myself called 3 times and was informed there were still tests to be done concerning his oxygen levels. We waited a while. After 5pm I called again and was told he had been discharged. Upon asking who collected him , they informed me my father said his son will come soon. I assumed that my brother had been notified. In contacting him , I found this not to be the case. We knew nothing of our father who is 80 and in poor condition. I then rushed to hospital to find him in a wheelchair at the entrance....dumped. He had had no food since breakfast, just a cup of tea since midday and it was 5.30pm when I arrived there. I am most appalled about this and find it more than frightening that somebody in such a state could be just dumped somewhere instead of being taken care of until a responsible caregiver takes over. My father was thirsty, hungry and cold. Strike or not there is no excuse for this lacking of responsibility and care. One does find this very disheartning. I hope this does not happen too often or at all anymore.
Thank you .
Regards
Chris Stiedl