DHB Board Office
15 Shea Terrace
Takapuna, Auckland 0622
Private Bag 93-503, Takapuna
North Shore City 0740
Telephone: 09 486 8900
www.waitematadhb.govt.nz
08 April 2022
Amber Saxton
Via email: [FYI request #18856 email]
Dear Amber
Re: OIA request – Expected clinical working hours – paediatrics and general medicine
Thank you for your Official Information Act request received 14 March seeking the following
information from Waitematā District Health Board (DHB):
On 28 March, we advised you that we had transferred Questions 1, 5, 5a, 5b and 5d of your
request to the University of Auckland, those being:
1. What is the list of senior medical officers designated to be clinical supervisors for medical
students from the University of Auckland (i.e. who are the SMOs who can sign CSRs). With regards to trainee interns:
5. how many hours per week are trainee interns expected to be on placement in runs above?
5a. as they are not paid, what protections are ensured trainee interns have proper rest and
food breaks?
5b. how many days in a row are trainee interns expected to be on placement
5d. how does the DHB manage the expectations for trainee interns to be present with their
health and wellbeing in a demanding field.
Before responding to your specific questions, it may be useful to provide some context about
our services.
Waitematā is the largest and one of the most rapidly growing DHBs in the country, serving a
population of around 650,000 across the North Shore, Waitakere and Rodney areas. We are
the largest employer in the district, employing more than 8,900 people across more than 80
locations.
In addition to providing care to our own resident population, we are the Northern Region
provider of forensic mental health services and child rehabilitation services, plus the metro
Auckland provider of child community dental services and community alcohol and drug
services.
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In response to your request, we are able to provide the following information:
The hospitals have many doctors at different pay scales and responsibilities. Many of which
are demanding for the team. Paediatrics and General Medicine have been two of the [most]
demanding rotations.
(I request all information in a tabulated excel document.)
With regards to general medicine and paediatrics departments:
2. from above [question 1], what is the FTE of each SMO, and number of hours expected on-
site.
2a. if applicable, what is their salary as per Association of Salaries Medical Specialist contact
2ai. what has this been for the last 10 years
2b. if unavailable, what is their generic SMO payscale.
Question 1 was transferred to the University of Auckland, which will be providing the list of
names you seek. As we do not have the relevant names, we are unable to provide the
information you are seeking in response to question 2.
We are, therefore, refusing this aspect of your request under section 18(e) of the Official
Information Act as the information requested does not exist, in the sense that we do not hold
the list of names to which the information relates.
To prevent burn-out, often doctors get rostered time off.
3a. How many days in a row can an SMO work as per contract?
The standard maximum duration is five continuous days, noting that SMOs can have additional
after-hours on-call and weekend roster cover arrangements. Where these periods impact on
off-duty time, all services have arrangements where further time off can be taken.
3b. What is the policy around SMO rostered days off (RDO)?
Waitematā DHB has no policy covering SMO rostered days off. The expectation is that rostered
days off are taken to provide adequate rest and recovery.
3c. What compensation is given when SMOs do work beyond their day off? E.g. come in on a
RDO.
There are a entitlements within the SMO Collective Agreement to provide additional
remuneration - a link the the agreement is here:
https://tas.health.nz/assets/ER/ASMS-Senior-Medical-Dental-Officers-MECA-1-April-2020-31-
March-2021-1.29Mb.pdf
Any request to work on a rostered day-off would be by agreement between the service and the
SMO and remuneration and adequate recovery time would be agreed.
With regards to house officers (HOs):
Please note the additional Information regarding the data we have provided in response to
Question 4, as follows:
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Selection of clinical attachments covered by the OIA
Your request seeks information on HO run categories and salary information based on the
category and post graduate year (PGY).
When identifying the HO clinical attachments (runs) covered by the OIA, we have:
included runs that are covered by general medicine run descriptions, which includes
relief
excluded medical sub-specialty runs and those in acute assessment / medical
assessment units where these runs are not covered by the general medicine run
description
included runs that are covered by general paediatric medicine run descriptions, which
includes relief
excluded paediatric sub-specialty or surgical runs.
Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) Multi Employer Collective Agreements ( MECAs)
There are
two RMO collective agreements (MECAs) that govern terms and conditions of
employment for RMOs. They are:
20 DHB and NZ Resident Doctors’ Association MECA dated 17 May 2021 – 31 March
2024 (NZRDA MECA)
20 DHB and Specialty Trainees of New Zealand MECA dated 14 December 2021 – 13
December 2023 (STONZ MECA).
At the date of this response, the salary scales, method for calculating run categories and the
limits on consecutive days of work are different in each MECA. When providing the responses,
this has been split to identify NZRDA MECA and STONZ MECA.
The first STONZ MECA came into effect on 10 December 2018 and, when responding to
Question 4bi, the data for STONZ MECA commences from this date. Prior to this date, the only
MECA in-force was the NZRDA MECA.
Run categories
Run categories are based on a band of hours as set out in the table below. This band of hours
represents the weekly hours averaged over the 13-week run rotation (clinical attachment) and
does not reflect the actual hours worked from week-to-week as this will fluctuate dependent
on the roster pattern.
Category
Hours
F
40-44.9
E
45-49.9
D
50-54.9
C
55-59.9
B
60-64.9
A
65+
NB: any reference to an A+ or A++ run category relates to how relievers are paid (see section
below on ‘Reliever salaries’). The band of hours where this is referenced is 65+ hours.
Some of the runs covered in this response operate different summer and winter rosters
through the HO training year. Where summer and winter rosters are in place, the run category
for summer and winter has been provided.
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Salary scale and Post Graduate Year (PGY#)
RMOs are paid as salaried workers with salaries, based on their salary scale year and run
category for the run rotation. The salary scale year is based on post-graduate experience
(expressed as PGY#). At a HO level, the salary scale starts at Year 1 and the maximum is Year 4.
PGY1 is the equivalent of HO salary scale Year 1 and the HO will move to the next year of the
salary scale at the beginning of their next PGY year (subject to continuous service) until they
reach Year 4 of the scale.
Relievers’ salaries
RMOs employed as “relievers” are paid a salary two categories above the category of the
majority of runs on which they are employed to provide cover.
Where the provision for an additional two steps would place the RMO above the top of the HO
scale, an RMO who is on year 3 Category A or year 4 category B is paid Category A year 4 plus
the amount set out at
Allowance 1 gross per annum. An RMO who is on year 4 Category A is
paid the additional amount set out at
Allowance 2 gross per annum.
Additional allowance amount based on each MECA:
Allowance 1 – NZRDA MECA $5,000
Allowance 1 - STONZ $5,300
Allowance 2 – NZRDA MECA $10,000
Allowance 2 - STONZ $10,600.
The reference to A+ and A++ regarding relief run categories is used to identify where the two
steps above is higher than an A category run for payment purposes.
4a) What are the run categories for house officers on paediatrics and general medicine
attachments, ergo number of expected hours?
At the date of your request the run categories are as follows, noting that where there is a
different roster in summer and winter these have been listed separately.
There are no paediatric HO runs covered by the OIA request.
NZRDA Run
STONZ Run
Run Description
Category
Category
Waitakere Hospital General
Medicine
C
C
Waitakere Hospital General
Medicine Relief
A
A
NZRDA
NZRDA
STONZ
STONZ
Summer Run
Winter Run
Summer Run
Winter Run
Run Description
Category
Category
Category
Category
North Shore Hospital General
Medicine
C
C
C
C
North Shore Hospital General
Medicine Relief
A
A
A
A
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4b) What is their pay as per PGY# and run category from above?
At the date of your request, the annual salary based on PGY year is set out for each RMO
MECA. The Urban House Officer Scale (non-shift work) rosters apply for each RMO MECA.
Please see
Appendix 1.
4bi) What has this been for the last 10 years?
The attached
Appendix 2 details the run category and pay as per PGY year for the past
10 years for each run. Where the salary for the run category and PGY year has
increased as a result of a general MECA increase, this has been noted in the comment
field as "General MECA salary increase."
The response to this question has been split into NZRDA MECA and STONZ MECA.
NSH = North Shore Hospital
WTK = Waitakere Hospital
4c) What is the maximum number of days HOs in the attachments above have to work in a
row?
The limits on consecutive days of work for non-shift rosters in each RMO MECA differ.
In the NZRDA MECA, non-shift rosters detailed at Schedule 10 of the MECA limit the number of
consecutive days worked in a row to 10. For any weekend duty worked in these rosters, the
RMO is granted a week day (Monday – Friday) rostered completely free from duties (RDO) in
compensation for the weekend duty worked.
In the STONZ MECA, the limit on the number of consecutive days worked in a row is up to a
maximum of 12 days.
The maximum number of days HOs in the attachments (detailed at our response to question
4a) have to work depends on their terms and conditions of employment. If they are covered by
NZRDA MECA terms and conditions, their maximum number of days worked in a row will be 10.
If they are covered by STONZ MECA terms and conditions, their maximum number of days
worked in a row will be 12.
4) What is the rostered day off policy for house officers in the rotations mentioned
above?
This depends on the individual RMO’s terms and conditions of employment. All of the runs
listed at question 4a) are Schedule 10 rosters in the NZRDA MECA and, as such, House Officers
on NZRDA MECA terms and conditions have week day rostered days off on their roster.
House Officers who are on STONZ terms and conditions of employment do not have week day
rostered days off on their roster. There is no MECA contractual provision to provide this.
With regards to trainee interns:
5c. what is the DHB policy for rostered days off for trainee interns?
Waitematā DHB does not have a policy regarding rostered days off for trainee interns. We are,
therefore, refusing this aspect of your request under section 18(e) of the Official Information
Act as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist.
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You have the right to seek an investigation and review of this decision by the Ombudsman.
Information about how to seek a review is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
Freephone 0800 802 602.
I trust that the information we have been able to provide is helpful.
Yours sincerely
Fiona McCarthy
Director People and Culture
Waitematā District Health Board
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