Recruitment ongoing at Ashburton Hospital
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Staffing vacancies are not stopping the Ashburton Hospital from providing “all of its services”.
Te Whatu Ora Canterbury executive director of nursing, Becky Hickmott, said the hospital currently has 14.4 full-time equivalent (FTE) nursing vacancies it is looking to fill out of its 167 nursing roles at the hospital.
“While we have had some staff movement, our vacancy numbers are higher because we have had an additional 9.3FTE approved for the hospital,” Hickmott said.
“We are actively recruiting into all vacancies and we have three new graduate nurses starting shortly which will reduce our vacancies to 11.4FTE.”
In February, the hospital had 10.6 FTE vacancies, and it was reshuffling staff and reviewing services to cope with demand as the Omicron wave started to sweep through the region.
By June, a number of the positions were filled leaving just 4.8 FTE vacancies to be filled, but five months later that number has risen to 11.4 - bout 6% of the nursing staff.
Hickmott said all services in Ashburton are running despite the vacancies in Ashburton and a health system that is under pressure.
“Seasonal pressures have impacted patient flow throughout our health system, from general practice through to Emergency Departments.
“We are managing our vacancies by asking staff to be deployed where they are needed and asking staff to work additional shifts where possible.
“Our staff have worked really hard this year in a challenging environment. We are working hard to support their wellbeing and to ensure our team have some time out to recharge and take a break over the coming months.”
Adding to the challenge has been the ongoing impacts of Covid, with active cases still circulating in the community.
The Ministry of Health reported 2970 new cases in the region in the last week. It does not break case numbers down to a district level.
While there has been a rise in Covid case numbers in Canterbury, Hickmott said “we are still talking about small numbers”.
“We are transitioning into an endemic state, learning to live with Covid-19 in our communities, and we are stepping down our operations centre.”
*Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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72.6% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16.7% Hmm, maybe?
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10.8% Yes!
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Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
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91.4% Yes
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8.6% No
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