Latest news with #TeWhatuOra
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Hospital understaffed and under resourced
A senior doctor has said she's kept awake at night by having to ration care at Whangarei hospital which she says is understaffed and under resourced. Others say it's frustrating, exhausting and like being on the deck of the Titanic. Senior Northland doctors, who are union members walked off the job and onto the picket line this morning, on a 24 hour strike, after a break down in negotiations over pay and conditions. All hospitals in the region, including Whangarei Hospital and its emergency department are still open, although Te Whatu Ora says some planned treatment and appointments are being disrupted. Checkpoint called the Whangarei doctors who were striking and they spoke to Lisa Owen about thieir experiences. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Cancellation Of Health Charter A Giant Step Backwards For Health And Community Support Workers
Hard on the heels of the cancellation of pay equity claims for thousands of hospital, health and community support workers, the Government's announcement today that they're dropping the Te Mauri o Rongo Health Charter is another callous twist of the knife, the PSA says. Minister Simeon Brown's suite of changes to the Pae Ora Act will see, among other things, a repeal of the Te Mauri o Rongo Health Charter. "The Health Charter set out shared values and principles to shape behaviours for how Te Whatu Ora will support and promote a safe working culture across health, including the funded community sector. Now it's gone, with seemingly nothing to replace it," Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, says. "Hospital, health, and community support workers are already under immense strain. They're constantly asked to do more with less. And the high frequency of assaults by patients - particularly for mental health workers - is increasingly, frighteningly normalised." The PSA played a critical role in developing the charter, standing up a working group of health and community support workers shortly after Te Whatu Ora was established. It was developed by the health workforce for the health sector, and is a positive framework to lead and support the health system to develop relationships to achieve pae ora (healthy futures). "A functioning health system must commit to supporting their workforce and empowering them to speak out when their safety is compromised. Otherwise we'll just do what New Zealand has done for years, and drive out our highly trained health workforce to sunnier pastures overseas. "The commitment to a well-trained workforce with access to appropriate resources to develop their skills, as well as workers to provide person and whānau-centred services, are a challenge to this Government. "The coalition continues to show us who and what they value. It's very clear that they're continuing to completely under-value the workers, and especially the women workers, who prop up the system to serve New Zealand whānau when they need it most."
RNZ News
14-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
‘Drinking, urinating, littering': Most back larger alcohol ban area in Gisborne
Public consultation shows most submitters want locations in Gisborne city centre and Kaiti covered under an alcohol control bylaw. Photo: Gisborne Herald With a "growing trend" of booze-fuelled incidents in the Gisborne suburb of Kaiti and in Gisborne's central city, a proposed alcohol ban extension is gaining public support. Gisborne District Council has proposed an extension to the existing alcohol ban area to cover more of the city centre and create a new ban in the Kaiti area. Submissions on the plan raised concerns around "congregating and drinking, urinating and littering" in public spaces covered under the proposed bans. According to the hearings report on the topic, 77 percent supported extending the current alcohol ban in Gisborne City to include areas east of the Taruheru River and Gisborne Cenotaph, 18 percent disagreed and five percent gave no clear response. Additionally, 80 percent supported a new alcohol ban area to include Kaiti Memorial Park, Kaiti Hub and the area outside Kaiti School, while 10 percent disagreed, and the remaining were either neutral or other. The public consultation ran through April, with 39 submissions received, including one verbal submission from Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti Medical Officer of Health Dr Douglas Lush and compliance officer Cheanne Johnson. During hearings on the alcohol control bylaw on Thursday, Lush and Johnson said Health NZ supported the proposed ban areas. Almost half (44.9 percent) of drinkers in Tairāwhiti were considered hazardous compared with the national average of 27.1 percent, said Johnson, quoting a 2022 report. "We know that Māori experience a higher rate of alcohol-related harm and hazardous drinking." Lush said there would be ongoing concerns about how the bylaw would be enforced and the drinkers moving to other areas, but the proposed amendments would reduce public exposure to drinking and denormalise alcohol consumption, particularly with Kaiti Mall being close to Kaiti School. According to the hearings report, almost all commenters who took a supportive position on the Kaiti ban emphasised "protecting children and families". Additionally, two written submissions suggested the area needed to include both sides of Rutene Rd up to Craig Rd, as this area was used by children commuting to school. During the hearings, councillor Colin Alder asked about potential unintended consequences of the ban, including how it could affect alfresco dining in the city or businesses like the Tatapouri fishing club, where - on busy occasions - patrons could drink outside, as long as they did not cross a designated line. Strategic planning manager Charlotte Knight said the bylaw could get a little bit "hazy", but it did not include licensed premises or their footprints. She said the police enforced the bylaw, which was a complaints-based response. Intermediate policy adviser Makarand Rodge said police had advised that they would "exercise a lot of discretion". The hearings report notes that an internal submission, written by a council staff member, described how a group of day-drinkers verbally abused council staff and contractors repeatedly, while they installed benches and picnic tables in Kelvin Park, Marina Park and Rose Gardens. The group also interfered with their tools and worksites, and created "ongoing staff-safety concerns". "Within two weeks of installation, the new furniture had been defaced with graffiti." The cost to remediate the damage was "a recurring financial burden". Overall, the hearing report said the reasons for supporting the city centre extension included reducing "unruly or abusive behaviour", and that intoxicated behaviour at the Gisborne Cenotaph or river "undermines the memorial's importance and public comfort". Submitter Gael Alderton wrote that they were sick of seeing "congregating and drinking, urinating and littering" in the public spaces outside the museum, council building, cenotaph and along the river banks. "[It's] unpleasant for residents and not good for visitors to the city. Puts normal folk off sitting down or having lunch in these areas." However, submitters in opposition suggested it was better to address the source of the problem "by helping at-risk drinkers or homeless people". Submitter Daniel Blair said the ban might target people "enjoying a glass of wine, while having a picnic near the river". "Drunk and disorderly is another story, which covers the entire region already, and police respond accordingly," he wrote. "The more bans we have, the more freedoms we lose." Police data suggested "a growing trend of alcohol-related incidents in these locations, highlighting the need to consider options to extend the current alcohol ban", according to the hearing report. At an October council meeting, councillors decided to review the current Alcohol Control Bylaw 2015. The amended proposals also included updating the maps in the bylaw for clarity, with which 82 percent agreed, three percent disagreed and 15 percent were neutral. Depending on the panel discussion and suggestions, staff will prepare a report for the council for final approval at the next sustainable Tairāwhiti or council meeting. Areas in the current bylaw that are not addressed in the amended proposals remain unchanged. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Community And Collaboration Bring New Mental Health Facility Garden To Life
Patients and staff joined forces to bring the landscape design for Te Puna Wai Kātea, Taranaki Base Hospital's new stand-alone mental health rehabilitation facility, to life. 'It was fantastic to see everyone working together to transform the new facility's garden into a vibrant and healing space,' says Jesse Jardine, Programme Director for Project Maunga, Health New Zealand |Te Whatu Ora. 'The garden is a key aspect of the facility's design because it provides a rejuvenating outdoor space where patients can enjoy activities and spend time with whānau and visitors.' The planting day was made possible by the Taranaki Health Foundation and generous donations from the community, which provided the planters, bark, and compost needed for the new garden. The community involvement didn't stop there. Students from New Plymouth Boys High School helped prepare the garden beds for planting as part of their Do Something for Nothing initiative. Grant Hall and his team from Tui Landscaping were on-site to execute the planting layout and guide volunteers. Building Wellness Taranaki ensured the workers were well-fed. The story of the garden's design showcases another layer of community spirit. It was envisioned by WITT architecture student Asja Fairbrother during her 2024 internship with Project Maunga. When Asja presented her concept design, the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora project team were so impressed, that they wanted to see it become a reality. 'We are delighted to bring Asja's thoughtful design to fruition with support from our community. This garden has been created by the community for the community,' continues Jardine. The garden features vegetable planters where residents can learn to grow and cook their food. Native plantings with cultural significance have also been carefully considered to ensure the garden is beautiful and meaningful. The new garden will be enjoyed by staff, patients, and whānau when Te Puna Wai Kātea is officially opened next month.
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
‘Long overdue' unpaid holiday pay processed
A nine-year wait for more than $40 million in unpaid holiday pay for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand southern district staff is over. Yesterday, about $41 million in Holidays Act remediation payments were processed for 5900 current southern district staff. HNZ Te Waipounamu regional deputy chief executive Martin Keogh acknowledged it had been a drawn-out process. Martin Keogh. PHOTO: ODT FILES "We have made significant progress in the remediation project with around two-thirds of our current Health New Zealand employees now having received the money they are owed. "I want to acknowledge the patience of our staff who have been waiting for their payment and also recognise the huge work from our payroll teams, both nationally and in the regions, who have worked tirelessly on this programme." New Zealand Nurses' Organisation (NZNO) president Anne Daniels was pleased the wait was over. "NZNO acknowledges the Holidays Act remediation payment to its Te Whatu Ora southern members, but it has been long overdue. "These are payments owed to nurses since 2016. "Payments have been budgeted for by the government and there is a payment schedule in place." The issue has become protracted — at least seven other health districts (Tairāwhiti, Waikato, Canterbury/West Coast, Whanganui, Mid Central, Bay of Plenty and Lakes) are yet to be sorted. The payment meant over 75% of payrolls nationally had been rectified, Mr Keogh said. Anne Daniels. PHOTO: ODT FILES "This means those payrolls are now compliant with the Act and staff are being paid correctly for their holidays in a nationally consistent way. "Nationally we have about 90,000 current employees plus 130,000 former employees covered by the Holidays Act remediation project, for the period from May 1, 2010, to the present day." Southern district is the s 17th payroll nationally to have Holidays Act remediation payments processed to current staff, with Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Taranaki, Wairarapa, Nelson Marlborough, Hutt Valley, Capital Coast and four former shared services completed, and a partial payment made in Bay of Plenty, Te Tai Tokerau, Hawke's Bay and South Canterbury. The payment to southern district staff takes the total amount paid so far nationally to over $491.1m across 65,562 current employees, Ms Daniels said. "Nurses have been frustrated by the years-long delays in getting paid what they are owed. "Paying staff correctly for the work they perform is a minimum expectation of any employer. "NZNO continues to work on issues with Te Whatu Ora such as how to ensure members who work in multiple roles receive their correct entitlement."
