Medical Physicists at the six DHBs that offer radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer will commence strike action from this Friday 3 December 2021. Twenty-four hour stoppages will occur on Friday 3rd, Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th December, followed by two weeks of physicists only supporting radiation treatment during ordinary working hours.
Negotiations have reached an impasse because the employers have refused to offer an immediate pay increase to this highly qualified medical workforce, effectively a pay cut. Medical physicists train for eight to twelve years before they are competent to be responsible for correct and accurate radiation treatment by Linear Accelerators Linacs. or point source internal radiation treatment (Brachytherapy) in the treatment of many cancers.
This is a small but vital workforce that has long been vulnerable to being enticed by higher pay to overseas hospitals, especially in Australia. ‘We train amongst the best medical physicists in the world,’ said APEX Advocacy Lead David Munro today. ‘Yet a Chief Physicist in New Zealand is only paid the equivalent of a newly qualified physicist in Australia. We have been working to stem this ‘brain drain’ for more than a decade. Our system simply cannot continue to under-value this workforce.’
Frustration amongst our members, who number more than 90% of this 80 strong workforce, has boiled over. The bargaining is in the context of the government’s public sector pay restraint guidelines, and emphasis on equity pay increases for the low paid. Cognisant of that we have taken a flexible approach at bargaining to find a way to ensure that our members are not left behind. ‘We have raised claims for non-inflationary improvements like increased employer contributions to KiwiSaver, changes to the salary scale to better reflect merit, and better recognition of leadership and responsibility,’ said Mr Munro. ‘But there has been no meaningful progress on these issues. The employers remain adamant that salaries be frozen for one year with no corresponding compensation by recognising any other monetary claims.’
As a result of these strikes, treatments for New Zealanders with cancer will be delayed. ‘Our members hate having to resort to strike action at any time.’ said Mr Munro. ‘We need our employers to return to the bargaining table with a fresh mandate to address salaries and superannuation.’ he concluded.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
David Munro
APEX – Advocacy Lead
Cell phone: +64 27 276 9999
E-mail: david@APEX.org.nz
Medical Physicists
Medical physicists are critical to the delivery of safe and effective radiotherapy.
Radiation is a powerful tool for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. but it must be used safely to eliminate risks to staff and patients. Medical physicists employ their scientific training to calibrate and test radiotherapy equipment. This involves extensive measurements when new equipment is commissioned, and regular testing on all treatment devices. The measurement and analysis skills of the Medical Physicist ensure that advanced cancer treatments are delivered correctly, with millimetre accuracy.
Physicists are also responsible for researching and introducing new radiotherapy technologies and treatment techniques that are saving more lives every day in New Zealand. In recent years, the complexity of radiotherapy has increased massively. Only a highly trained workforce can provide the knowledge, skills, and leadership that ensures radiation oncology services remain safe, effective, and world-class.
Moreover, physicists also assist radiation therapists and radiation oncologists in planning individual patients’ treatment, and then checking that it is delivered correctly. This requires specialist clinical training on top of physics expertise. This combination of clinical and technical knowledge means that it takes at least eight years for a medical physicist to complete their training which includes a minimum tertiary qualification of a Masters or PhD level Physics degree.