Public hospital anaesthetic technicians go on strike

The first in what could be a series of strikes by public hospital anaesthetic technicians begins on Wednesday. The workers are needed for all hospital operations that require an anaesthetic. Fifteen of the technicians walked off the job for 24 hours at the Northland District Health Board from 7am over pay and conditions for workers in single-employer contracts known as SECAs. Whangarei Hospital has cancelled all but emergency surgery. Chief executive Nick Chamberlain told our health correspondent Karen Brown he's tried everything to solve the dispute and doesn't know what else to do.