Hospital strikes still likely

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 7

Hospital strikes still likely

By

SARAH SANDS,

I health reporter I Decisions on how Canterbury public hospitals will cope xyith strikes next wpek over the State Sector Bill will be made tomorrow.' ' (

The Canterbury Hospital Board’s chief executive, Mr Rbn Parker, said yesterday 'I that [the . 40member industrial action contingency committee had discusfeed the implications of the strikes again yesterday.! "We did not make any final decisions because we don't want to act; too quickly on the remote chance that the action won’t take placet;' More than 300 J hospital workers will strike over the State (Sector Bill next week. Nurses will strike for a wedk frprr Monday, March 14, ' ai[d other workers. Including domestic workers and members of the Public Service Association, will strike for 24 hours from midnight on Sunday; March 13. Mr Parker st id yesterday that| he felt it was extremely unlikely that the industrial action would be! called off. “I believe it will proceed ana that is the basis I am working 6n.” Decisions to I be made tomorroty will include whether to cancel all nonurgent surgery and out patient clinics next:week, he said. "It would appear that we are going [to -have to cancel most of the nonurgent admissions for.sur-

gery in our general hospitals but we are still looking at each Individual hospital.” said Mr Parker. “Any, . decision made will not affect anybody due to have surgery this , week.” » ’ Seyeral hundred patieats would be affected if nexi week’s surgery was cancelled, ( The -contingency committee was frying to minimise the disruption to outpatient services at each hospital, Mr Parker said. “Our"objective is to try to maintain outpatient clinics as far as possible." Volunteers were likely to be called after tomorrow, he said. "It appears inevitable that we wpl have to call for volunteers but this decision ■ will be made at the Wednesday meeting, once we know how many volunteers will be needed in each'hospital. “We would prefer that people not come forward until we (make the call because we can then give details on (where to report and the different things that will need to !be done.” J More than 100 admissions to Ihree Auckland hospitals were cancelled yesterday as nurses took ; industrial action, 1 the Press Association 1 re1 . I I

ported. A board spokeswoman said Auckland Hospital stopped admitting booked patients and cancelled 20 admissions. Middlemore Hospital cancelled some booked admissions and would begin cancelling all of them from Wednesday. North Shore Hospital has cancelled 70 bookings.

Outpatient clinics at Auckland and Middlemore will close indefinitely from Friday and day patient services will be cancelled from Friday at Middlemore and next Monday at Auckland Hospital.

Nurses at Auckland, Middlemore and Rotorua Hospitals held stop-work meetings yesterday and will reduce services until Friday, when there will be only a skeleton staff. Nurses at Northland Base Hospital in Whangarei stopped accepting booked admissions and doing non-nursing duties such as clerical work from yesterday. Ninety nurses at Wellington and Hutt Hospitals also took industrial action yesterday. The action affected seven other hospitals: Whangarei, Dannevirke, Otaki, Levin, Horowhenua, Stratford and Masterton.