24 Aug 2021

Nurses living with close contacts have to work - union

From Nine To Noon, 9:07 am on 24 August 2021
Doctor using stethoscope to checking Asian senior or elderly old lady woman patient wearing a face mask in hospital for protect infection Covid-19 Coronavirus.

Photo: 123RF

The Nurses Organisation says nurses who live with close contacts are being asked to turn up for work at Auckland's DHBs.

The union says they're deeply concerned by a Ministry of Health exemption issued last week for essential health workers from the need to fully self-isolate as long as certain conditions are met.

The NZNO also says in a survey of some of its members, 60 per cent reported still experiencing issues getting either enough PPE or the right fitting masks.

Kerri Nuku, Nurses' Organisation Kaiwhakahaere, tells Kathryn Ryan, nurses are being diverted to delivering vaccines and doing testing, meaning workloads are ever increasing.

Kathryn also speaks with Dr Bryan Betty, Medical Director of the College of GPs.