ASMS

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says an urgent ‘fix-it’ notice needs to be issued to address an understaffing crisis across the health system. According to Radio New Zealand, Worksafe has issued Wellington Free Ambulance with a ‘fix-it’ notice over worker fatigue. Ambulance staff themselves blame the situation on a massive shortfall in staffing. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says staffing shortfalls are the new normal in health, leading to high levels of burnout, people leaving and …

Read more »

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora is fully supporting striking nurses in their fight for fair pay and safe staffing. 30,000 members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation are walking off the job for eight hours today after turning down the latest pay offer from the DHBs. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says no one knows better than doctors how valuable nurses are and the dedicated care they give to patients around the country. “There is a …

Read more »

We know that the nurses’ strike is going to pose real challenges to staff and patients AND we fully support their cause for decent pay and conditions. We’ve put together some initial guidance for you on issues which arose during the last nurses’ strike in 2018 that may come up this time.

Read more »

Registrations are now open for the Creating Solutions – Towards better health equity for all conference. The virtual conference is on 2-3 July and is being co-hosted by ASMS and the Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust. We have put together an exciting programme of national and international speakers and health sector leaders. The conference will be opened by the Health Minister Andrew Little with a keynote address by the established British health equity researcher Sir Michael Marmot.  All those attending will be …

Read more »

Every year the Council of Trade Unions carries out a detailed analysis of the Budget across all sectors. ASMS’ Research and Policy Team contributes to the analysis on health spending. The report crunches the numbers and looks at what has been promised and whether there is sufficient funding to cover rising costs, including wages, population growth and demographic change. The health section is on p18 of the report which you can read here

Read more »

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says the Government is showing real commitment in trying to correct decades of underfunding in health, but it shouldn’t forget the commitment of the people who keep the system going. This year’s Budget has delivered a $4.7 billion dollar increase in health spending, boosted by funding for Covid and health system restructuring. “We are pleased to hear this will be the first of three Budgets along these lines, because despite some …

Read more »

We want to thank our members at Waikato DHB for going above and beyond this week in the wake of the cyber attack which has caused major disruption to clinical services and patient care. Unfortunately it has also affected the DHB’s payroll system. We wanted to give our Waikato members a quick update. 

Read more »

One of the things that Covid has taught us is that our health system is fragile. It needs to be protected. It needs to be shored up. It needs sustained investment. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton looks at what specialists and the health system need to see in this year’s Budget in an opinion piece for the Sunday Star Times.

Read more »

A survey by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora, shows one in two senior doctors are experiencing high levels of burnout and there has been no improvement in the past five years. Burnout is an occupational syndrome caused by chronic workplace stress. ASMS has repeated a survey carried out in 2015 to compare burnout levels five years on and to measure the impact of staffing shortages, growing patient demand and clinical pressures. More than 2,100 ASMS members …

Read more »

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says the Government’s ongoing public sector pay restraint is a kick in the teeth to senior doctors and dentists who keep core health services going and have kept New Zealanders safe and cared for during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a press release on the Government’s Workforce Policy Statement, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins has ruled out pay increases for those earning over $100,000 for the next three years. ASMS Executive Director …

Read more »