Medical physicists strike

Cancer patients being treated at Palmerston North Hospital have been told their appointments will not be affected by a two-day strike by key health staff. Eight medical physicists at the regional cancer treatment service at Midcentral Health have joined colleagues around the country in the 48-hour strike. Cancer Screening, Treatment and Support operations executive Sarah Fenwick said contingency plans had been put in place to prevent delays in care and access to services. All patients who had appointments were being told to attend as scheduled. Medical physicists are responsible for the radiation treatment machines used to deliver prescribed doses of radiotherapy to cancer patients. They work with radiation therapists and oncologists to plan each patient’s treatment course and check that it is given precisely. David Munro, advocacy lead for the APEX union, said it was the first time the healthworkers, who trained for eight years, had taken full strike action. They would continue to take lesser industrial action at the six cancer treatment centres around New Zealand until the end of March. He said the wanted pay and conditions that did not put them further behind what their Australian colleagues received – up to double the pay, and higher superannuation contributions from employers.

They had rejected an offer made in October that Munro said would have seen them slip further behind Australia.

Facilitated bargaining was scheduled for February 23 and 24.