Exhausted Whangārei nurses are calling for higher incentive payments, saying they’re outraged doctors earn eight times more for additional shifts worked.

About 80 nurses have signed a letter demanding improved payment incentives, which was presented to Whangārei Hospital on Thursday.

The nurses’ union, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, said Whangārei was the starting point – nurses across the country were being affected and a national response was expected to follow.

Whangārei nurse Rachel Thorn​, who coordinated the letter, said nurses had begun to stop filling roster gaps in due to the unfair conditions.

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“Many of us are refusing to take on the stress of extra shifts because it just isn’t worth the personal cost.”

The union said it planned to lodge a claim for ‘significant improvement’ on the payments with Health New Zealand next week.

Thorn said the hospital was overstrained and understaffed, with nurses worn out from working extra shifts to fill gaps.

“The ward is full, the waiting room is full, the hospital is full and there is nowhere to send people, patients can be in the emergency department waiting for 24 hours a time.”

Her department was 11 full-time staff down and the roster often had 35-50 shift gaps per week. There were 140 gaps in August’s roster, she said.

Nurses were working hundreds of hours of over-time and not being paid fairly, she said.

Previously, incentive rates were set by individual district health boards, Thorn said.

Pay varied depending on the district and the shift worked, but nurses in the Waikato with a base rate of $35 per hour could earn enhanced payments of up to $70 an hour for additional shift work.

Now, under Health New Zealand, incentive payments have been centralised.

According to an email sent to Northland District staff by Health New Zealand, registered nurses could earn an additional $100 for each shift worked above their normal full-time equivalent.

The offer included an $800 allowance for five additional nights worked between now and September 30.

But Thorn said the additional payments made to doctors were eight times higher depending on the timing of the extra shifts. They could be offered up to $220 an hour.

“Nurses are feeling really disrespected … The doctors we’ve spoken to agree and are shocked by the offer. Payments should increase by the same percentage for nursing staff who are just as vital for patient wellbeing.”

Thorn said a rate of time and a half, similar to Waikato’s previous rate, would be acceptable and fair.

She said nurses had begun to stop picking up additional shifts, with plans for that to continue into next week.

“The vast majority won’t be picking up any extra shifts, but a few may extend to 12-hour shifts, as this is paid as overtime rates.

“Some staff are in need of the extra money, so we understand the need,” she said.

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora chief executive Margie Apa acknowledged there had been variation in existing incentive arrangements between districts, due to the DHB system.

A series of temporary trigger points had been developed, to be applied nationally, for incentive payments over the current winter period, she said.

“We are continuing to assess what further steps can be taken to free up staff from other areas to support any ED rosters that are under strain.”