A "significant restructure" announced by Health New Zealand for hospitals in the Central North Island would result in a net loss of 17 roles, the public service union says.
According to the Public Service Association, 96 roles across Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Tairāwhiti were proposed for disestablishment. A further 30 vacant roles were proposed to be disestablished.
In their place, 108 new roles would be created, resulting in a net loss of 17 jobs.
Affected hospitals included Tauranga Hospital, Whakatāne Hospital, Gisborne Hospital, Hāwera Hospital, Taranaki Base Hospital, Rhoda Read Continuing Care, Taumaranui Hospital, Te Kuiti Hospital, Thames Hospital, Tokoroa Hospital, and Waikato Hospital.
The union said staff would have to reapply for the new roles, with no guarantee of success, and risk being placed in lower-paid positions.
It said the restructure aimed to centralise clinical leadership and administration functions across the region.
Affected health workers included psychologists and counsellors, physiotherapists, administrators, social workers, and those in cancer support services.
The PSA said a four-week consultation period on the restructure would take place.
"At a time of crisis in our underfunded health system, it beggars’ belief that a major restructure of so many frontline health roles is a priority," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said.
"All this will do is force more work onto fewer people and destabilise local health teams. It ultimately impacts care patients receive.
"This is another huge change dressed up as efficiency, but what they are doing is cutting roles and wages because the Government is refusing to provide hospitals with the funding they desperately need."
The union said it was seeking legal advice on the proposal, and was not ruling out litigation to stop dismissals. It formally objected to the four-week consultation period as being "insufficient for such a major upheaval".
It also wrote to Health New Zealand for more detailed information and an extended consultation period.
1News has approached Health NZ for comment.
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