Radiographers Continue Industrial Action

Radiographers Continue Industrial Action at Waikato DHB Hospitals

Medical radiation technologists, cardiology radiographers, sonographers and other similar roles will continue their industrial action this weekend which could impact on members of the public.

Those taking action include medical radiation technologists, cardiology radiographers, sonographers and other similar roles who are members of the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (APEX) union.

The APEX union members are taking rolling industrial action over 15 days between Monday 22 March and Monday 12 April.

“Radiographers have been ‘working to rule’ at Waikato and Thames hospitals this week, which is a strict adherence to fixed examination times, and they have totally withdrawn services for computed tomography (CT) and angiography this weekend,” said Waikato DHB chief medical advisor Tom Watson.

“The impact this has on the hospitals is in the emergency departments where x-ray and CT scans will operate in a reduced capacity and in some outpatient clinics and areas of elective surgery.”

Dr Watson said Waikato DHB has an incident management team in place, which includes affected service areas, and that the team are working hard to manage the impact of the strikes and to ensure patient safety and care is not compromised.

“We are asking general practice and our own staff to only make requests to radiology services that have immediate impact,” he said.

In addition, radiographers are completely withdrawing services at Thames Hospital from:

• 6pm today until 12noon Saturday 27 March.
• 4pm Saturday 27 March to midnight Sunday 28 March.
• 4pm Sunday 28 March to 8am Monday 29 March.

The service will also cease in Tokoroa and Taumarunui hospitals from 4.30pm today until 8am Monday 29 March.

Dr Watson said the annual “Beach Hop” event in Whangamata in the weekend would mean extra vigilance around potential impacts in the Coromandel.

ENDS