NZMA welcomes industrial news
The New Zealand Medical Association welcomes the news that the proposed six-day strike of junior doctors has been
averted.
“The strike would have been disastrous for New Zealanders, so we are pleased that the parties have been in negotiation
and have made sufficient progress for the strike to be called off,” said NZMA Chairman Dr Tricia Briscoe.
“Junior doctors have a huge role in our public hospitals. Senior doctors would struggle to cope if junior doctors went
on strike, and our hospitals risk becoming unsafe for patients. General practitioners would also be affected by
increases in their already large workloads, as they strive to keep people out of hospital.”
The work and life balance of junior doctors is an important issue, and progress must be made on improving the working
environment, Dr Briscoe said. Everyone involved needs to work together to progress these important issues, and a
national strike is not in anyone’s interests.