Short-staffed health

This is an unprecedented time of stress with extra burdens being placed on an overstretched health system with a shortage of nurses and safe staffing already a high priority.

Do the risks outweigh the benefits of standing down 1309 senior medical officers, medical officers, nurses and midwives for non-compliance with the Ministry of Health’s mandatory vaccination order?

How are the district health boards going to minimise the impact on services?

In yet another amendment to the mandate, those nurses who are working Monday-Friday on research and policy have since been excluded.

This is discrimination against all nurses working at the forefront of practice.

January 1 could see more health professionals stood down pending termination with enforcement of the second vaccine.

Spare a thought, ‘‘team of 5 million’’, whilst you enjoy Christmas and a summer break, most nurses will be working through the holiday period, short-staffed.

Maria Thomas, Christchurch