We promote, protect and support the interests of our members in all aspects of their working lives. We are working for an equitable, accessible public health care system that meets the needs of all New Zealanders.
The Finance Minister Grant Robertson has said this year’s Budget will be all about health. We’ve written a pre-Budget opinion piece published in the Sunday Star Times and Stuff which looks at what’s needed to correct the many years of underinvestment.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says today’s strike by allied health workers is a clear sign of the frustration with DHBs’ attitude towards pay negotiations in the health sector. Up to 10,000 DHB staff who are members of the PSA have walked off the job today after more than a year of failed talks over pay and conditions. They include technicians, dieticians, social workers, physiotherapists, audiologists, medical photographers, and contact tracers. “These people are part of …
Are you a sculptor, fine artist, ceramicist, potter, photographer, or textile artist? For the second year running, we are hosting an art exhibition featuring the artworks of doctors and dentists.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says a plan to clear patient waiting lists must be matched with a plan to address huge workforce shortages across the health system. The Health Minister Andrew Little has announced a special taskforce and national approach to tackle hospital waiting lists caused by Covid. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says a focussed and co-ordinated approach is welcome but the elephant in the room is the ability of an under-resourced and depleted …
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says the Government continues to ghost health workers in the lead up to the Budget. In a pre-Budget speech, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson has said New Zealand’s economy has come through the Covid shock better than most due to the positive health response. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says that positive health response was built on the back of overburdened and hard-working health workers who have seen nothing in return. …
On July 1st, DHBs will be disestablished and their functions will be taken over by Health NZ, including the employment of all ASMS members who work in DHBs.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says DHBs are taking a lazy approach to staff wellbeing by making token payments and providing cheap snacks.
In the March edition of The Specialist we have an article from our health policy analyst Lyndon Keene about what this year’s budget might bring for health. It is based on a detailed analysis of figures and funding levels. As promised we have republished the article here in full, to include those details.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora says senior hospital doctors would strongly refute claims by the Director General of Health that the health system is not in crisis. Dr Ashley Bloomfield is reported to have said there is no crisis in the health sector, despite Omicron stretching services. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says those working on the ground would beg to differ, saying it’s a crisis by any other name. “Covid hospitalisations are escalating, routine …
ASMS welcomes Bay of Plenty psychiatrist Dr Mark Lawrence (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngā Puhi) as the newest member of its National Executive.