“Palmerston North Hospital Specialists Can’t Cope If Junior Doctors Strike”

Palmerston North hospital specialists will not be able to cope if the resident (junior) doctors strike proceeds,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

Mr Powell was commenting on the decision reached at an emergency meeting of hospital specialists in Palmerston North last night. They have conveyed this to the Chief Executive of MidCentral Health. The week-long strike is scheduled to start on 23rd August.

“The meeting unanimously concluded that the loss of resident doctors would force hospital specialists to work outside their immediate clinical expertise, patients will be placed at risk and the hospital will be unsafe. Standards of care will be severely compromised.”

“Palmerston North hospital specialists greatly value the skills and work of resident doctors and understand why they have been forced to take strike action. They appreciate it that it has been caused by the extraordinarily high level of debt due to the punitive student loan scheme.”

“The government and health managers need to take urgent measures to address the reasons why these resident doctor strikes are happening,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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