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Strike action forces elective surgery cancellation
Strike action forces elective surgery cancellations
Waikato DHB will postpone some surgical bookings to cope with next Tuesday’s nationwide strike by union staff who provide x-ray, scans and other radiology services.
The strike affects all Waikato DHB hospitals including Waikato, Thames, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui.
Waikato DHB will this week contact those people likely to be affected.
The strike is from 7.30am Tuesday (September 7) to 7.30am Wednesday (September 8).
Waikato DHB’s planning this week with clinical staff focuses on keeping the impact on patients as minimal as possible.
The strike action will also affect emergency department services. People attending hospital emergency departments next Tuesday (September 7) will only be able to access x-ray and scan services in severe or life-preserving situations, said chief medical advisor Dr Tom Watson.
“Next Tuesday, if you think you’ve broken something but are otherwise alright you will need to go to an accident and emergency clinic in Hamilton or to your family doctor rather than the hospital’s emergency department,” said Dr Watson.
The strike is part of industrial action that has affected radiology services at all district health boards from late July.
Waikato, Thames and Tokoroa hospitals are affected by ongoing work-to-rule and total withdrawal of after-hours radiology labour.
To date Waikato Hospital has avoided major service disruption by careful planning and the cooperation of general practitioners and private radiology services.
The 24-hour strike action next Tuesday means unavoidable impacts on patient services including cancellation of some patients booked for non-urgent surgery.
Waikato Hospital’s cardiac surgery bookings have been cancelled from mid-week.
“There is no way we can safely provide normal surgical services without x-ray and CT scanning available,” said Dr Watson.
Those taking action include medical radiation technologists, cardiology radiographers, sonographers and other similar roles who are members of the APEX union
Main accident and emergency
clinics in the Waikato:
• 24-hour: Anglesea Accident
and Emergency Medical Clinic, cnr Anglesea and Thackery Sts,
Hamilton
• 8am – 10pm: Victoria Central Accident and
Medical, 750 Victoria Street, Hamilton
There are a number of other accident and medical clinics open during normal working hours on Tuesday – please check in the green section at the front of the white pages telephone directory.
ENDS
Waikato District Health Board
Healthy People. Excellent Care
Waikato District Health Board (DHB) employs over 6500 people and plans, funds and provides hospital and health services to more than 391,770 people in a region covering eight per cent of New Zealand.
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