The College of Nurses Aotearoa urges Minister Little to reconsider the position of excluding Primary Health Care Nurses
from the pay parity announcement made yesterday.
Primary Health Care nurses are highly skilled front-line staff who make a positive difference to health outcome.
Effective primary care prevents unnecessary hospital admission by keeping patients and whānau well in their own homes.
This is a major saving to the country’s health system and wider community.
Pay parity for nurses should recognise the knowledge and skill of all nurses – not differentiated by clinical practice
setting. Excluding a sector will perpetuate inequity by drawing nurses from that sector away to other areas of nursing
that are better remunerated. Aotearoa needs a strong primary health care system. It is already under considerable
strain. This short-sighted decision will only serve to weaken an already challenged system.
Contact:
Kate Weston
Executive Director
College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ)
027 225 8287
Information about the College of Nurses - www.nurse.org.nz
The College is a professional body of New Zealand Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners from all regions and
specialties. It provides a voice for the nursing profession and professional commentary on issues which affect nurses,
and also the health of the whole community. Its aim is to support excellence in clinical practice, research and
education and to work with consumers to influence health policy. The College is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and
the improvement of Māori health. This commitment is reflected in the bicultural structure of the organisation.
The College of Nurses Vision is “100% Access, Zero Disparities in healthcare for all New Zealanders”.