PHC MECA Update 16 June 2020

Kia ora koutou

Let's collectively pull out all stops for a successful and visible “Seeing Red Day” across Aotearoa New Zealand!

• We have a series of posters that you can download and print out for display. Dress up your workplace in red with these on your walls, and put up red balloons and any other red props you have to hand.
• Use the 'We are seeing red because...' poster template. Write why you are seeing red and take a photo of yourselves with your message. We will let you know where to upload these to NZNO in the next Update on Thursday 18 June.
• Wear something red to work, maybe wear a red ribbon as an armband, make red cakes (or something healthy and red) for morning tea.
• Encourage patients and clients to sign the petition.

We will be issuing another media release for Friday's activities so seeing red visibility in workplaces will be key to gaining coverage.

Health and Disability System Review Final Report

Today the much awaited Health and Disability System Review Final Report was released. This report included the following recognition:

“Across Tier 1, Health NZ should develop minimum requirements for services provided in localities and set commissioning rules and guidance for DHBs. As part of this, Health NZ should develop options for contracting for general practice services. These could include... practice nurses are paid equitably relative to their colleagues working in hospitals”.

and..

“Along with driving more differentiated commissioning and contracting models within agreed parameters,  the system needs to have a clearer strategy on relative salary scales and employment terms and conditions across the sector. This should include working with unions on the best ways to encourage the flexibility needed to facilitate new roles and responsibilities and the employment model that will best suit the development of the future workforce.
It will also mean that the system should seek to address pay parity issues for professions working in different parts of the system, for example, nurses working in Tier 1...”

Whilst this is very positive for our cause (along with the coverage below) we need to ensure it's front and centre for a resolution without delay.

On 12 June 2020 New Zealand Doctor also reported:

General practices and emergency centres are being asked to show support for their nurses and the pay parity issue by decking themselves out in red for next Friday’s Seeing Red Day

“We’ve had a situation where DHBs have been incentivised to get care provided as cheaply as possible in the community setting”

GPs grilled politicians at today’s virtual Rotorua GPCME conference over practice nurse pay parity at the same time news emerged that nurse pay talks have stalled and are heading to mediation.

When questioned on funding pay parity, health minister David Clark placed blame on DHBs being incentivised to get care in the community as cheaply as possible.

Primary care nurse talks had resumed this week between the New Zealand Nursing Organisation and employer advocates. But, as anticipated, talks quickly stalled over funding pay parity between practice nurses and their DHB colleagues.

NZNO industrial adviser Chris Wilson says in a media release that as employers were unable to lift the offer rejected last month by NZNO members the next step is mediation on 29 June.

She says it is very disappointing for all parties that government funding for pay parity is not forthcoming, despite approaches to Dr Clark, the Ministry of Health and DHB officials by NZNO and employer advocates NZMA and Green Cross.

Politicians’ views queried

GPs attending the political debate at today’s virtual conference fired written questions at Dr Clark and the Greens and New Zealand First health spokespeople over nurse pay parity. National’s associate health spokesman, Whangarei MP and GP Shane Reti, had to leave the panel for another engagement prior to the question session.

The three politicians nodded in agreement when asked by debate chair and NZMA chair Kate Baddock whether they thought pay parity was important for nurses, whether they worked in DHBs, community or general practice.

When asked how they proposed to make pay parity work for nurses across all sectors Dr Clark says it was one of the structural questions being looked at by the soon-to-be released Health and Disability System Review report.

Cheap care incentive

“We’ve had a situation where DHBs have been incentivised to get care provided as cheaply as possible in the community setting,” Dr Clark says.

“And this has driven a situation where we know that Māori nurses, for example, are paid significantly less than nurses across the general population.

“We know that there is a disparity across primary care generally to the DHBs.

“It’s something that our predecessors of mine have attempted to tackle but the way the legislation is structured currently and the expectations etc are structured argue against this. And drive incentives against this and we’ve seen this gap grow.”

He says that was one of the drivers of the Simpson report which is built on the two pillars of sustainability and equity. “And part of equity is having workforces that look like the populations they serve, and supports and rewards different models of care across the community and meet the needs of the community.”

Political will

Ms Wilson says resolving the pay parity funding gap comes down to “political will”.

“Budget 2020 put an extra $3.92 billion into DHBs over the next four years whereas pay parity for PHC nurses would cost a mere $15 million.

"Without additional funding, recruitment and retention issues will only be solved by passing additional costs on to the consumers. This is not a responsible solution and clearly not in the interests of communities."

Seeing Red Day

NZNO is calling for general practices and emergency centres across the country on Friday 19 June to be decked out in red and for staff to wear red for “Seeing Red Day” to highlight the pay parity issue.

Ngā mihi

Your NZNO negotiation team: Chris Wilson, Mike Yeats, Karen Smith, Sarah Redpath and Denise Moore