The New Zealand Nurses Organisation is raising renewed concerns over staff safety at Christchurch Hospital, following an assault on a student midwife walking back to her car after a shift.
The attack did not occur on hospital grounds.
It happened near Kurawaka Waipapa and is the latest in a series of after-hours attacks on hospital staff, prompting frustration over the ongoing lack of a long-term parking solution.
NZNO Christchurch delegate Al Dietschin says staff have been raising concerns about hospital parking for more than a decade, and while Te Whatu Ora has taken some action, it falls far short of what’s needed to ensure staff safety.
“How many incidents do we need to have before the employer acts in the interest of staff in accordance with the Health and Safety Employment Act?” Dietschin said. “They have to provide a safe work environment. They always say health and safety of staff is important, but these after-hours assaults continue to happen.”
While the Tū Waka Waipapa building, opened in November 2023, offers parking directly across from the hospital, it comes at a cost of around $25 per day — a price point Dietschin says is unaffordable for many workers.
In response to previous attacks, the hospital has implemented a minibus shuttle service operating between 9pm and 1am. However, staff report that long wait times have left them feeling unsafe and unsupported.
“Staff are reportedly walking to their cars because they’re made to wait 30 minutes or more after working the late shift for the shuttle to arrive,” said Dietschin. “Staff don’t feel safe walking to cars after their shift or early morning in the dark, but they’re sometimes forced to.”
Dietschin also criticised a recent policy change limiting emergency department parking for community-based lead maternity carers to just five hours. Previously, the parking was available for an unlimited duration.
“Now they’re forced to ask core staff to relieve them in the middle of a patient’s labour so they don’t get fined. That’s not good for the safety of their patients.”
He says the solution is straightforward.
“Staff only want safe after-hours parking close to the hospital, and we don’t want to break the bank for this to happen.”
NZNO is calling for a meaningful, sustainable fix to what it says is a long-standing and preventable safety issue for frontline health workers.
