News and notices Pānui
Nurses Strike Affects Tauranga and Whakatāne Hospitals
27 May 2021
The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) union, whose members are nurses, midwives and health care assistants, has given notice of full withdrawal of labour strike action on Wednesday 9 June 2021 for 8 hours from 11am to 7pm.
The hospitals will be open only for emergency, essential services and urgent medical care on Wednesday 9 June. Most non-essential services and planned (elective) surgery are being postponed because of the strike. The effect of removing a large percentage of the nursing workforce from our hospitals, for even a short period of time, is hard to overstate. To ensure patient, staff and whanau safety, we must be prepared as an organisation, hence our focus on contingency planning.
Patient, staff and whānau safety is our number one consideration. If you were to have surgery or had an outpatient’s appointment on Wednesday 9 June, you will have been contacted by us rescheduling your new appointment. However, if you need to check your appointment, please call 0800 333 477 between 7.30am and 5pm weekdays.
Please save the hospital emergency department for emergencies only. In the event of an emergency please dial 111 for emergency health assistance or an ambulance.
If you require medical attention for a situation that is NOT life threatening please contact your GP or the free HealthLine on 0800 611 116 for health advice in the first instance, 24/7.
If you are booked to have your COVID-19 vaccination at the Tauranga Hospital site on Wednesday 9 June, this will be rescheduled. Please don’t phone the call centre, they will contact you to reschedule this. If you are booked to have your COVID-19 vaccination at the 1st Avenue site, this will go ahead as scheduled.
If you are booked to have your COVID-19 vaccination in Whakatāne on Wednesday 9 June, this will go ahead as scheduled. Please note the venue for your vaccination is Te Puna Ora O Mataatua Charitable Trust, 92 King Street, Whakatāne.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your co-operation.
Reduced or closed services
Services at both Tauranga and Whakatāne hospitals are reduced on Wednesday 9 June, as the industrial action means that we have greatly reduced numbers of nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants on our wards. If you had planned surgery or had an outpatient’s appointment which has been deferred and want to talk to someone please call our Patient Line 0800 333 477 between 7.30am and 5pm weekdays.
Services which remain open:
- Emergency Departments
- Assessment Planning Unit, APU (Tauranga)
- Intensive Care Unit/CCU/HDU (Tauranga), Acute Care Unit (Whakatāne)
- Paediatric Wards (Tauranga and Whakatāne)
- Maternity Units (Tauranga and Whakatāne)
- Special Care Baby Units (Tauranga and Whakatāne)
- Emergency (acute) surgery
- Mental Health and Addiction Inpatients’ Wards and Crisis Teams
- Public Health Services (Toi Te Ora)
Services which are reduced:
- Renal Dialysis Unit (Tauranga and Whakatāne)
- Clinical Physiology
- Cath Lab/Endoscopy (acute only)
Services which are closed:
- Outpatient Clinics
- Planned gastroscopies and other gastroenterology
- Planned surgery (including day surgery)
- Outpatients rehabilitation
- Transit Lounge
- Specialist Nursing Services
- Public Health Nursing Services (e.g. B4 School, Ear Van, school based vaccination)
- District Nursing
- Oncology (Tauranga and Whakatāne)
- Medical Day Stay Unit (Tauranga)
- Sexual Health Clinic
If you need care in the event of an emergency please call 111 for an ambulance. If you require medical attention for a situation that is not life threatening, you should do what you normally do: visit or phone your GP 24/7, talk to your pharmacist, or call the free 24/7 HealthLine 0800 611 116.