More than 5000 doctors will strike on May 1, postponing treatment for about 4300 patients.
Last-ditch mediation between Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora and the senior doctors’ union has failed to avert an unprecedented 24-hour strike.
Health NZ deputy chief executive Cath Cronin said the agency was “deeply disappointed” that the union had refused to present its latest offer to its members following mediation on Thursday.
“We value our doctors and want to do the best we can for them, but the reality is that Health NZ has limited budget available for salary settlements within its tight financial constraints,” she said.
Health NZ was urgently applying for facilitation, which would “give an independent party the opportunity to hear from both sides and make a recommendation”.
“We believe we have been fair and realistic, including offering to remove the lowest pay steps for senior doctors.”
Cronin said Te Whatu Ora had “heard” the union’s concern regarding growing and retaining the senior doctor workforce.
Under Te Whatu Ora’s new offer, a first-year specialist would receive a $17,700 (9.5%) increase on base salary and a 9.5% increase on other remuneration, including KiwiSaver, and another 6% the following year.
A second-year specialist would receive a $11,800 (6.2%) pay increase on base salary plus 6.2% for KiwiSaver, and another 6% increase in the following year.
All other specialists would have their salaries increased by 3% over two years, with a lump sum payment of $8000 to doctors with three or more years’ experience.
“Additionally, we offered an incentive in ‘hard to recruit’ districts, which will assist in attracting and retaining senior doctors.”
Latest offer ‘worse’ - union
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The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said however there was no point taking the offer to its members as for most of them it was “worse than what was originally on the table”.
Most specialists were already near or at the top of the specialist scale, and for them the offer (a 33-month term with no backdating) worked out at “less than 0.77% on average”, she said.
Dalton said the offer of less than 1% amounted to a pay cut in real terms, and would “drive existing doctors away rather than help retain them”.
It would not attract any new senior doctors to fill vacancies, which run at 12% on average, and up to 44% in some districts.
“New Zealand will be short more than 3450 senior doctors by 2032 and we are already seeing the impact of doctor shortages across the country with longer wait times in emergency departments and for first specialists’ appointments.
“At the same time, Health NZ continues to pay considerable amounts to locums [doctors covering specialist vacancies] some of whom are left in the posts for months rather than days or weeks, and who are paid significantly more than salaried staff.
“So we think their priorities are wrong, they’re not taking a long-term investment approach. They still can’t adequately account for where there are gaps and where there are not.”
While Health NZ was claiming to have made “recruitment and retention offers” in hard to staff areas, that was only happening in four districts, she said.
“They have coincidentally limited those to the four that have been in the media the most. Some of them do have the greatest need, like Tairāwhiti, but there are regions that have demonstrably higher vacancy levels that have not been included in this list.
“So they continue to ignore their own data in terms of what they say they are doing.”
Dalton acknowledged that Te Whatu Ora did move to address some problems in mediation, including offering to “restore relativities” with junior doctors.
That would benefit about 500 members.
However, some doctors were still waiting for aspects of the last collective settlement to be implemented. For instance, some districts were still not paying emergency department shift allowances.
“The strike will result in planned procedures being postponed, but the same number of procedures are lost every week due to ongoing staff shortages,” Dalton said.
Hospitals and emergency departments will remain open, and the union is working with Health NZ to ensure life-preserving services continue during the strike.
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Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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51.9% Human-centred experience and communication
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15% Critical thinking
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30.1% Resilience and adaptability
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3% Other - I will share below!
The Gospel’s Relevance Today**
The Gospel, meaning ‘good news’, is the cornerstone of the message contained in the Bible’s first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While these records were written approximately 2,000 years ago, a natural question arises: why is this Gospel still relevant and vital for us today? This analysis seeks to explore what the Bible itself defines as the Gospel and to understand its enduring significance.
**Defining the Gospel: Core Biblical References**
The Gospel is not a vague concept; Scripture provides clear descriptions of its content and focus.
* **The Gospel of the Kingdom:** In Matthew 4:23, as Jesus begins his ministry, he is described as “preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” This immediately establishes that the good news is centrally about a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. His accompanying miracles served to validate the authority of this message.
* **The Gospel of Jesus Christ:** Mark 1:1 opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here, “Christ” is a title meaning ‘anointed one’. Thus, the good news is intrinsically about Jesus: his identity as the Anointed One and his unique status as the Son of God.
* **The Gospel of God’s Grace:** In Acts 20:24, the Apostle Paul speaks of his mission to “testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace signifies an undeserved gift. This reveals that the Gospel involves a gift from God, offered not because it is merited, but out of His benevolence.
* **The Gospel of Salvation and Peace:** Romans 1:16 declares the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” breaking down barriers between Jew and Gentile (Greek). Furthermore, Romans 10:15 calls it the “gospel of peace,” pointing to a future state of peace brought about by this message.
* **The Gospel Summarised:** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a foundational summary. Paul reminds believers of the gospel he preached, “by which also you are saved.” He then states its core historical facts: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel is therefore rooted in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
In synthesis, the Gospel is the good news of **salvation and future peace in the Kingdom of God**, made possible by **the grace of God** and **the obedient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ**, and offered to all who believe.
**Old Testament Foundations: The Gospel Preached to Abraham**
A crucial question is whether the Gospel is confined to the New Testament. Scripture shows its foundations were laid much earlier. Galatians 3:8 states explicitly that “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
This reference points back to Genesis 12:1-3, where God made profound promises to Abraham: to make him a great nation, to bless those who blessed him, and that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” These promises—later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob—form the bedrock of the Gospel hope. The good news of salvation through Christ is the fulfillment of how **all nations** would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed.”
**The Gospel’s Personal Relevance: Good News for You Today**
How does this ancient message become “good news for you” today? The application is clearly outlined in Galatians 3.
* **Access through Faith in Christ:** Galatians 3:26 declares, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The promise made to Abraham is now extended to anyone with faith in Jesus.
* **The Role of Baptism:** Verse 27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Baptism is the God-appointed act of faith that identifies a believer with Christ’s death and resurrection.
* **Unity and Inheritance:** Verses 28-29 reveal the glorious outcome: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Through the Gospel, all barriers are removed; believers become spiritual descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises of the Kingdom.
This Gospel was once a mystery hidden in God’s purpose (Ephesians 3:3-9). Now, it has been revealed: the unsearchable riches of Christ, offering salvation to all who heed the call, believe the message, and are baptised into him.
**Conclusion: An Enduring and Open Invitation**
The Gospel is far more than a historical account; it is the living, powerful good news of God’s plan for salvation. It is rooted in promises to Abraham, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and open to all people without distinction. It offers a tangible hope—the hope of resurrection, peace, and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel remains profoundly relevant. It is an invitation to listen, believe, and stand firm in this hope, linking our lives today to the eternal purpose of God.
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