Pressure to add nurses to the immigration fast-track green list is mounting even further.
A document leaked to ACT reveals Health Minister Andrew Little received advice from a top official at the ministry of health last week to immediately add 30 health jobs including nurses to the list - adding that a failure to do so would put pressure on key services.
ACT Health spokesperson and deputy leader Brooke van Velden told Tova O'Brien that workers are crying out for help.
"We've got people even within the Health Ministry who are saying, we are telling the health minister that unless these people get put on the green list we are going to have a problem on our hands."
She can't understand why Andrew Little would ignore this, and questioned why there is continued resistance from the Health Minister despite continued strains on the health system.
"We have barriers in the way of people who are dentists, nurses, physiotherapists, paramedics coming through the border, if we have an option and we have a law in place where we can fast-track people, why won't they just use it?"
Van Velden isn't optimistic Minister Little will acknowledge this information and enforce immediate change.
"Why can't we make a really quick change here so we can get people in the border now and help our health workforce crisis now rather than in six months?
"It's saddening that this advice could be ignored."
Despite all the available information and evidence suggesting these changes would have significant positive benefits for the health system, van Velden thinks those in charge of implementing that change have just put their heads in the sand.
"Take advice on board and recognise if you can't get a paramedic, you can't even get to a hospital, and it's a real concern to New Zealanders."
Nurses Organisation President Anne Daniels also spoke to O'Brien on Thursday morning, saying nurses are in high demand by doctors.
"We provide a huge amount of the information that they need to make their diagnostic and treatment decisions," Daniels said.
"Without us, things will get missed and they are being missed, so the risk is high."
She seconded van Valden's call for immediate action telling O'Brien something has to change.
"All the COVID/flu situation did was actually make visible the shortages that were already there.
"We are not coping."
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