1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,079 Speaker 1: Do you remember the new north Shore Hospital building in Auckland, 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty beds building has been all ready 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: to go for ages but he's been sitting there, just 4 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: lights on but empty. Well as now be confirmed that 5 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: it is going to partially open in a couple of weeks. 6 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: But get this, no extra patience will be treated. And 7 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: that's because in order to open this hospital, theaters an 8 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: award in the old hospital have to shut. Sarah Dalton 9 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: from the Association of Salary Medical Specialists with US he 10 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: Sarah good here, how I am, I'm very well, thank you. 11 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: This is just shuffling deck chairs, isn't it. 12 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 2: But absolutely is shuffling dick chairs. 13 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: Yep, what's the problem here? Can they just not hire 14 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: any more staff? 15 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: So there is a bit of a recruitment freeze in 16 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: place at the moment. They'll say it's not a freeze, 17 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,480 Speaker 2: but it's as close as you can get without seeing ice. 18 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, recruitment has really slowed down. Money is very tight. 19 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 2: They haven't managed to meet their target to make their 20 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: end budget for the year. And paying me attention to 21 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: the health budget announcements in recent weeks, there is no 22 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 2: more money for health now. 23 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: I thought last week when we spoke to Health New 24 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: Zealand they said that the freeze would be lifted this week. 25 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: Is that what we're expecting. 26 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: So what seems to be happening is that all of 27 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: the jobs had to go up to the National Director 28 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: of Hospital and Specialist Censes for approval. Now that is 29 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 2: being shifted to regional committees, but all of the jobs 30 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 2: are still having to go to those committees for approval. 31 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 2: So best case scenario is clinical roles will still be 32 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: approved for recruitment, but it's going to take even longer 33 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: than it's already. And of course the other existing issue 34 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 2: is that we've got lots of services who've had jobs 35 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: being advertised for a while and they're not being filled. 36 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 2: People aren't coming, they don't want them. 37 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: How long do you think before we're able to start 38 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: getting enough staff to actually make this building like increase 39 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: how many surgeries. 40 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: We can do. I'm really concerned about how long it 41 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: might be. We've just been having a look at some 42 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: of the indicators or planned care and so it will 43 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: be mainly elective services that were going on in that 44 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 2: building as far as I'm aware, and in the last year. 45 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: The time it takes So for patients who've been given 46 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 2: a commitment to treatment but they are waiting longer than 47 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: four months, that's gone up by twenty five percent just 48 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: in the last year. That's thirty four thousand people who've 49 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: been told you're going to get your procedure, but they 50 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: haven't got it within the four months. And the number 51 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: of people waiting for fair specialist appointments in the last 52 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: year has gone up by thirty four percent. That's nearly 53 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: seventy thousand people not being seen within that four month window. 54 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 2: So I can't see it being sixty any times soon. 55 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: I went and listened to the FELLECT Committee discussion about 56 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: the health estemits the other day and it's pretty brim listening. 57 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it does sound like it. Sarah, Thank you very 58 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: much appreciated that. Sarah Dalton Association of Salary Medical Specialists. 59 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 60 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 2: news Talks. 61 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 62 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.