Geneva Healthcare Comments On Looming Nurse Strike

With over 15 years in various capacities in the healthcare industry, there is one thing I can safely say that strongly unites nurses, doctors, and DHBs alike – the love we share for our patients.

During these negotiations for Nurses pay, both the District Health Boards and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) have worked tirelessly to ensure that the wellbeing of patients is not compromised and that their safety is of paramount concern. There’s an agreement across the board that a strike is a last resort.

In order to keep providing the care New Zealanders deserve, I believe that both parties agree that something has to change. I am pleased to see that both NZNO and the DHBs are working tirelessly to reach a resolution that will equally benefit nurses across the board and will ultimately result in a better healthcare for the patients we serve.

At Geneva we support and work closely with the DHBs in providing the continuum of care to outpatients whom we provide a wraparound service both in the home and community. We also support and assist the Nursing community through placements with our Temporary and Permanent Healthcare Recruitment Services to ensure the availability of staff at the DHBs especially during critical periods.

We understand where both parties are coming from in this debate and we’re hoping for a speedy and a fair resolution to this matter for the sake of those who are needing healthcare and the most vulnerable in our community. We believe that this is not an insurmountable situation and that an agreeable solution can be achieved with both parties willing to come together for our community as what unites them is stronger that what divides them.

FROM:

Lindie Van Wyk

National Clinical Manager – Geneva Healthcare Limited