Nursing reports

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 16 May 2024

On 27 September 2023, during a televised pre-election leaders’ debate, Christopher Luxon said that regardless of whether nurses work in aged care, general practice or “the DHB equivalent system”, they should be paid the same. When asked if he would do that should he win the election, Mr Luxon said he would.[1]  

He won the election and he hasn’t.

The Coalition Government has refused to commit to adequately fund Primary/Community Health Care when the current Pay Equity claim in the sector is settled, despite Mr Luxon’s promise.

The New Zealand Nurses organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the harmful effects of this wage gap are being felt across the health system in Aotearoa New Zealand, and calls for increases to health budget funding so the problem can be properly fixed.

“Health budgets are now set every three years instead of yearly so the Government has one chance to get this right, pay what’s fair and just, and avoid consigning us to an impoverished, ineffectual health system for years to come,” said NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter.

Gisborne general practice nurse Ayla Evans says the worst part of the problem for general practices is in recruiting and retaining staff, especially those with valuable experience, because those staff could earn up to 20 percent more working in a hospital.

“This is a seriously big deal because we’re going to lose half our workforce to retirement in the next 10 years, so Pay Parity with Te Whatu Ora is not a want; it’s a need! I think it’s really important that Budget 2024 reflects that.”

Ayla says she and her colleagues feel undervalued and frustrated at being paid so much less despite having the same qualifications and experience as their Te Whatu Ora colleagues.

“Our employers do their best to pay us well, but to do that they’ve had to free up funds by reducing other services and shortening opening hours. We now close at 5pm instead of 8pm, which means a lot of the forestry workers and others who can’t get to us during the day miss out on proper care. It’s having a huge impact on our community.

“It’s like the Government doesn’t understand that Primary Care is there to prevent health problems from worsening, and to provide health education that can keep people well and out of hospitals and our overloaded emergency departments. Yet it seems all the money goes to Te Whatu Ora as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

“And how many Primary Health Care jobs could we have saved if the money given to landlords and set aside for tax cuts went into funding Pay Parity for nurses?”

But it is not General Practice alone feeling the effects. Wellington Plunket nurse Hannah Cook says the Government's failure to honour its promise and pay Whanau Awhina Plunket staff in line with those at Te Whatu Ora is inappropriate and unfair. 

“Experienced Plunket nurses are feeling unappreciated for their mahi and are either leaving or taking on a second job to make ends meet. Plunket nurses are doing a fantastic job, but our goodwill and passion can only be relied upon for so long.

“The Government needs to honour its commitment to Pay Parity for all nurses, wherever they work." 

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Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 2 May 2024

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) say the Government’s proposal, announced today, to disestablish the Pay Equity Taskforce within Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission is extremely regrettable.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says women being paid less than men, even though they do work of equal value, remains widespread across the country.

“To disband the expert group of people tasked with supporting pay equity for women before this work is complete in New Zealand is unwise and speaks again of the Government’s misdirected priorities.

“The demise of the taskforce will come with a huge loss in terms of the knowledge and skills required to ensure women do not remain the victims of sex-based wage discrimination. These skills were of huge benefit to both employers and the unions representing their employees in sorting pay equity issues.”

Paul Goulter says the Government appears to be divesting its pay equity responsibilities under the Equal Pay Act to public sector agencies, making them responsible for meeting pay equity obligations from here on.

“And it’s really ominous that the Government has still not committed to closing the massive pay equity gap around the non-state (funded) sector – for example the huge difference between what nurses are paid in our hospitals as opposed to our general practices, community health and support services, Māori and iwi health providers, Plunket and so on.

“These forms of Primary Care are hugely important for preventing ill health and reducing the burden on our public hospitals and emergency departments. But they are under serious threat because the pay gap makes it hard for them to attract or retain staff. You and I and our loved ones pay the price for that.”

He says there is time for the Government to reverse this decision.

“Instead of dismantling the mechanisms we need to achieve pay equity, we’d like to see the Government actually honouring its pre-election promise to pay all nurses equally, by strongly committing to establishing pay equity across the funded sector (Primary/Community Health).”

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Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 8 March 2024

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says it’s great the Government has announced five new health targets, but wonders how they will be met without a full nursing workforce that is locally grown and culturally safe.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said we are not going to achieve reduced wait times and better treatment while our hospitals and emergency departments remain clogged and our Primary Health Care centres are closing.

“Every day we read news reports of GP practices shutting up shop or reducing services while they lose both doctors and nurses. Nurses are increasingly looking at moving overseas, because they feel disillusioned with a health system that remains underfunded, understaffed and fundamentally unsafe.”

Ms Nuku said we need a robust workforce that can provide the high-quality care Dr Reti envisions for all the people of New Zealand.

“For those most in need in Aotearoa that must include a culturally safe workforce, so people receive care that is appropriate for them and helps them engage with services.

“Unfortunately we’re not seeing any real action around this and it would be great if the Government’s ‘vigorous new direction in health’ included more vigour in attracting New Zealanders to take up nursing studies, especially Māori and Pacific people.

“We need Pay Equity across all of nursing so people are guaranteed a good job when they graduate, and we need students to be supported financially and culturally while they study so they make it to the end and graduate.”

She said that if the Government doesn’t do these things with vigour, the challenges it has set itself will go unmet.

“We must commit to growing our own workforce, and NZNO wants to be part of that workforce strategy.

“Then maybe these targets could be achieved via high quality health care for our diverse population delivered through services that are culturally safe and closer to the communities that need them.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa  (NZNO) welcomes today’s announcement by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall that general practice, community and other nurses outside of Te Whatu Ora will be included in new funding to reduce pay disparities from July.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says this is a good step in the right direction and that Hon Dr Verrall gets right to the heart of the matter when she says nurses with the same skillsets and experience should receive comparable pay regardless of where they practise.

“Currently pay rates for nurses and kaiāwhina working for Te Whatu Ora significantly outstrip the wages of other nurses in settings like Primary Health Care and this causes a real problem.

“Retention of staff has been a major challenge for general practices and community providers because, like anybody else, nurses will go where the money is when they are struggling financially. This causes huge inequities in the community and then emergency departments because access to care is reduced.”

Ms Nuku says the evidence for the pay gaps has been there for some time, much of it provided by NZNO, but this move towards Pay Parity is still welcome.

“Obviously we still have a long way to go in terms of closing the pay gaps that remain and our concern now is that the funding is targeted according to need.

“For example many Māori providers missed out on funding for Māori and iwi in the last tranche of funding because they are technically general practices, and this may help address that oversight – especially in terms of the important cultural overlay Māori nurses bring, which is often overlooked or taken for granted.”

Ms Nuku said it would be good for NZNO, as the main advocate for all nurses, and the Ministry to share data to help identify where that money should be targeted and to help ensure it all truly goes to the workers.

“This is a good move, but we are still only talking about a target of being whin 95 percent of Te Whatu Ora wages. This is unlikely to get us even to that figure.

“We say the target should be 100 percent Pay Parity so every nurse everywhere is equally valued, and so nurses can work where they feel they are most needed and contribute best, not where they are best paid.”

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 4 May 2023

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the 2023 Winter Plan to erase pressure on the health system includes some helpful initiatives but does not strike at the heart of the problem.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says pushing services out into the community to alleviate hospital overcrowding is good in theory but that this can only work if we have the people and resources available to do that.

“Sadly we know that the greatest problem we have right now is a lack of personnel and my fear is that this will only exacerbate the problem we have where the quality of health services you receive depends on your postcode.”

Ms Nuku said the focus on receiving care at the right time and at the right place is laudable, but unfortunately hospital will be the “right place” for many people this winter and the Government plan fails to address existing staffing issues that are seriously undermining the standard of care in our hospitals.

“How are we going to ensure we have enough nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi to meet the growing demand on our hospitals that comes each winter?

“There is nothing about a safety plan and payments implemented for all additional shifts and hours worked in recognition of the extra burden winter places on our members.

“In fact this is something we have asked for in our bargaining and Te Whatu Ora has turned us down.”

Ms Nuku said that while the winter plan includes some good initiatives, it fails to address the heart of the matter which is the nursing shortage and recognition of the value of the nursing workforce.

“This winter will be especially challenging and we need to get beyond making adjustments that shift the burden and keep focusing on real and lasting solutions: valuing nurses and doing everything we can to recruit more.”

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Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 | media@nzno.org.nz

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 22 April 2023

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation is today launching the findings of its March pay disparity survey researching wages paid to members working in general practice (medical centre) settings.

In the survey, 1135 general practice nurses responded to questions about their qualifications, experience, positions and base hourly rates. These rates were then compared to rates currently paid to nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora.

Despite claims by former Health Minister Andrew Little that there was no evidence of a pay disparity between general practice and Te Whatu Ora nurses, the survey shows one third of registered nurses in general practice were currently paid minimum rates between 22 and 27 percent ($5.77 and $9.68 per hour) less than their Te Whatu Ora colleagues.

On average, general practice nurses were paid 14-20.8 percent (between $5.14 and $7.88) less per hour than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts.

The survey found that only 31 out of the 952 registered and enrolled nurses who responded were paid higher rates than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts (just over three percent).

Enrolled nurses were paid up to $6.75 (26 percent) per hour less than their Te Whatu Ora counterparts, and registered nurses were paid up to $9.68 (27 percent) less per hour.

The average wages of nurse prescribers and nurse manager respondents were also below the rates currently paid to an equivalent Te Whatu Ora nurse.

The survey was conducted by NZNO professional researchers and Primary Health Care nurse Denise Moore says the findings show there is a demonstrable pay disparity between general practice and Te Whatu Ora nurses.

“That we have twice been excluded from the Government’s funding to address pay disparities is manifestly unjust. It devalues general practice nurses who were essential to the fight against Covid and whose role it is to help keep people out of our overcrowded hospitals.

“Nurses are leaving general practice in unprecedented numbers because they cannot make ends meet financially, and Government telling them they don’t need a pay rise has been the last straw for many.”

Ms Moore said nurses leaving is having a significant impact on the availability of health services in the community and putting increased pressure on our hospitals as many now see the hospital emergency department as their only option for care.

“If the Government wants to focus patients towards Primary Health Care to rebalance the health system away from hospitals, it makes no sense to leave practice nurses out of any funding set aside for pay increases.

“This is something the Government must address without delay. We are losing nurses at a rapid rate and poor wages mean we cannot compete when trying to replace them. This all comes at a great cost to the health and wellbeing of people in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

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Media enquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617 / media@nzno.org.nz.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 28 November 2022

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) has welcomed this morning’s Government announcement that $200m per year will be spent addressing the wage gap between community-based frontline workers and their counterparts who work for Te Whatu Ora. 

But it says the decision to leave out GP practices is regrettable.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said the Government needs to be acknowledged for the initiative, which is particularly good news for workers with Māori and Pasifika health service providers whose wage gap has been crushingly unjust for so long. 

“Earning up to 25 percent less just because of where you work is completely unacceptable in Aotearoa New Zealand, so we're really pleased the Government has committed to ongoing funding for this.

“We also think the boost will have a really positive impact for the Aged Care Residential sector, which has been hit really hard by staff leaving for better paid jobs in the public sector.”

However, Paul Goulter said more work still needed to be done because nurses working for general practices have been excluded.

“The Government says it’s not convinced a pay parity gap exists for those nurses. We don't agree with that at all, and both our members and employers say they are losing staff at rate of knots to jobs with Te Whatu Ora where the pay is much better.

“And in a lot of cases general practice employers are topping up wages just to keep their staff, and that money has come out of funding for other services which could have benefitted patients and the community. 

“That’s not a sustainable situation long-term and the Government really needs to re-examine this decision. Otherwise Primary Health Care, and the communities that rely on it, will continue to suffer. It’s just not right that this sector will not participate.”

Paul Goulter also welcomed the Government’s assertion that the money must be used to fix existing pay differences.

“We’re really keen to see what mechanism will exist to ensure transparency and that the funding goes into the pockets of nurses and other health workers, rather than being absorbed into something else.”

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 13 October 2022

Nurses working across the Primary Health Care sector have overwhelmingly voted to strike for four hours (10am-2pm) on 27 October in three separate ballots. The strikes are the result of employers’ inability to deliver Pay Parity with nurses employed by Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, due to a lack of Government funding – despite more than a year of bargaining.

The strike will include around 4300 NZNO Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) members who work in medical centres and after hours emergency clinics (covered by the PHC MECA) as well as those working for Plunket and Health Care New Zealand – both of which have their own collective agreements.

Each of the three groups held their own strike ballot but chose to strike at the same time as a display of solidarity and because they face the same issues. Each group has rejected an employer offer of 3 percent or less, with further talks having stalled because employers say their funding from Government is too low to offer any more.

Christchurch Primary Health Care nurse and NZNO delegate Denise Moore said all nurses deserve to be paid the same as nurses working for Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.

“It is ridiculous that we are paid 10-20 percent less than our colleagues working in public hospitals. We have the same qualifications, skills and experience and that means we have the same intrinsic value.

“It’s a flagrant injustice that is causing nurses to leave Primary Heath Care in droves for better paid hospital jobs or better wages overseas. This is having a dreadful impact on the availability of health services in communities.”

Ms Moore said that if the Government wants to retain Primary Health Care nurses it has to move beyond just talking about Pay Parity, and properly fund Primary Health Care providers so it can actually be achieved.

“Nurses in every sector in New Zealand have had enough and we are no different. Our goodwill is just about gone and our workforce will continue to dwindle, despite the Government’s view that things will somehow magically improve when summer comes. Take it from me; things will not improve until the Government fronts up.”

She said further strike action could not be ruled out if Pay Parity was not achieved soon.

“This is the end of the line for many of us, and we’re serious.”

Nursing staff from the three groups will hold rallies across the country during the four-hour strike on 27 October.

Primary Health Care Nurses (around 3500 NZNO members covered by the PHC MECA) have rejected an offer of 2.78 percent, with 92 percent voting to strike.

NZNO members employed by Plunket (around 700) have rejected an offer of around 3 percent, with 89 percent voting to strike.

NZNO members employed by Health Care NZ have rejected an offer of around 3 percent, with 96 percent voting to strike.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 29 August 2022

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) will be holding public rallies today in five main centres to call on the Government to ensure Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (formerly the DHBs) urgently provides the funding needed to properly value Aotearoa’s Primary Health Care nurses.

The main centres are Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch and the rallies will run from 12.30 until 1.30pm.

Primary Health Care nurses work in areas of the health system such as General Practice, after-hours emergency centres, Plunket, Māori and iwi health providers, Urgent Care and Family Planning. They have the same qualifications, training and responsibilities as Te Whatu Ora nurses, but are paid significantly less.

A nurse at a medical centre typically earns 10-20 percent less, and nurses working for Māori and iwi providers can earn up to 25 percent less.

Many employers say they want to pay their staff the same rates as Te Whatu Ora nurses, but they can’t do so without increased capitation funding from the Government.

Christchurch-based Primary Health Care nurse Denise Moore says many nurses are leaving Primary Health Care for hospital-based jobs with Te Whatu Ora where they can earn more, and that this is causing real problems for members of the community.

“I don’t blame nurses for leaving Primary Health Care for better pay because it is hard to make ends meet on our wages, but it does make things worse for those who remain because staff numbers are so low and the hours are already long and arduous.

“When employers can’t find new nurses to replace the ones who have left, it means they have to cut services or delay appointments and that affects everyone in the community.”

Registered nurse Gina Chaffey works at a Māori Health provider in Tairawhiti. She says she would never leave her Primary Health Care role because it is about the people.

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He Tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. Meeting the needs of my people is always paramount and they depend on me. But why is the pay gap for nurses who work in Primary Health Care or for Iwi so big? The Government needs to step up and meet its obligations under te Tiriti.

“Injustice has been a lifetime battle for Māori and pay parity with Te Whatu Ora nurses would be a step towards equality. Like them we studied for our nursing degrees, and we go way beyond the call of duty every day. It just isn’t right that the Government funds one group of nurses more than another.”

At today’s rallies members of the public will be invited to rate the Government’s performance on fairly paying Primary Health Care nurses by placing a sticker on their chosen location on a large Plunket chart. They can also cast a ballot to vote on how well they think the Government is doing at valuing Primary Health Care Nurses.

The rallies will be at the following locations, starting at 12.30pm.

• Auckland: Corner of Memorial Drive and Gt North Road, New Lynn
• Tauranga: Red Square (bottom of Devonport Road)
• Hamilton: Garden Place, Victoria Street
• Wellington: Midland Park, Lambton Quay
• Christchurch: Riverside Market

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

Embargoed until 12.30pm, 20 July 2022

New Zealand Nurses Organisation media release, 20 July 2022

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says it received more than 2700 responses (in just two days) after inviting members to send a message to the Minister of Health about the nursing/health crisis.

NZNO gave its members the opportunity in response to Health Minister Andrew Little’s persistent assertions that there is no health crisis and that the system as a whole is coping.

NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said one only has to read the news to see that the system is actually on the brink of collapse, just as many health professionals are saying.

“Ninety-nine percent of responding members said the system was either in crisis (70 percent) or already beyond crisis (29 percent).

“What word we use to describe this situation is probably not important, but the Government’s insistence that this is just a temporary situation caused by covid and a cold winter has made nurses feel unheard and completely undervalued, and that is evident in the messages to the Minister. Many are furious, and many are in tears as they write.”

Some of the messages are lengthy, and NZNO President Anne Daniels said the fact that so many went to such lengths to share their thoughts is significant.

“Decades of poor planning, inadequate funding and outright neglect have led us to a time of absolute crisis in terms of pay, staffing resources and morale across the nursing sector.

“This isn’t a temporary glitch; many are seeing it as the end of the road, with 72 percent of respondents saying they are either seriously thinking of leaving nursing or New Zealand, or that they had already made plans to do so.

“This is not union officials opining in Wellington. These messages are the heartfelt pleas of nurses and other health workers right across the country working in a wide variety of nursing sectors. We hope for their sakes that the Health Minister and the Government will be willing to listen.” 

Interestingly, 95 percent of respondents (not all of whom work in the DHB sector) said honouring the promised back pay to DHB nurses and extending DHB Pay Equity rates to all nurses in New Zealand, regardless of where they practice, was one of the most important things Government could do to help address the nursing/health crisis.

The book of messages, amounting to 330 pages of print, will be anonymised and delivered to the Health Minister today at 12 Noon by a small team of Wellington region NZNO delegates.  Journalists would be welcome to photograph and speak with these members at Parliament at around 12.30pm.

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Media inquiries: Rob Zorn, NZNO Media and Communications Advisor: 027 431 2617.

Further information: survey stats

Regions

Nurses completing the survey were from all sectors: DHB; Primary Health Care; Aged Care; Private Hospital and Hospice; and Māori and iwi. Responses were received from all 20 DHB regions.

Is there a crisis?

2735 answered the question about whether there was a nursing crisis. No and Maybe were answer choices. 1910 (70 percent) said there was a crisis. A further 29 percent said the situation was already beyond crisis. 

How does the Government denial of a health crisis make you feel? 

Indifferent was an available choice. However, 39 percent said they were angry; 19 percent said they were disillusioned; 41 percent said they felt undervalued. Total = 99 percent.

Are you thinking of leaving nursing?

• Seriously thinking about leaving: 33 percent
• Seriously thinking about taking a nursing job overseas: 27 percent
• Already made plans to leave for good: 5 percent
• Already made plans to nurse overseas: 6 percent
• Determined to battle on: 28 percent. 

In other words, less than a third indicated they wanted to stay in their jobs.

What are the most important things Government could do to help address the nursing/health crisis?

• Honour the promised Pay Equity back pay for DHB nursing staff, and extend those Pay Equity rates to all nursing sectors: 96 percent.
• Provide more nurses: 80 percent
• Prioritise health and safety in workplaces: 70 percent
• Put internationally qualified nurses on the fast track to residency: 64 percent
• Remove financial barriers for nursing students: 60 percent
• Make it cheaper and easier for IQNs already here to gain registration: 53 percent
• Implement te Tiriti across the health system: 34 percent.