Union calls for continuity of care, as 1200 support workers face losing their jobs

The union representing home support workers is calling for Health New Zealand to prioritise continuity of care, as more than 1200 staff in Auckland face losing their jobs.Health New Zealand is cutting the contracts held by Visionwest, Lifewise and Presbyterian Support Northern in Auckland.Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the workers affected had built special, trusted relationships with the 4500 older and disabled people they supported, often over many years."What we need to see in the interests of clients and workers is a clear commitment from Health New Zealand to transfer workers on the same terms and conditions."That was "absolutely critical for continuity of care, but also for fair treatment", she told RNZ."We need to see Health New Zealand commit to retaining the workers in these roles."The PSA would not hesitate to take legal action, she said.On Friday, Presbyterian Support Northern chief executive Shaun Greaves spoke out, after Health NZ decided not to award the contracts to the three non-profits."It certainly came as a shock and surprise... it seems sudden and unjustified," he told RNZ."It is the hardest news we've had to deliver, these are people that have worked hard for us. Thirty percent of our staff at Enliven have been working for us for over ten years."We have challenged the decision, they did an internal review following that, and came out and said that their procurement process was still valid."Given the non-profits who lost the contracts did not know who would take over from them in March, Greaves was concerned about the transfer of care.Shaun GreavesSupplied / Presbyterian Support Northern"We can't start a transition process yet, so March to me sounds incredibly close."Health NZ declined to comment on any specific affected providers, but acknowledged some longstanding providers had not been successful in the procurement process and would be disappointed.Proposals had been assessed against a range of criteria to ensure services were sustainable, of high quality and able to meet the needs of people in need of support to continue living independently in their homes.Health NZ said it was working closely with providers to support planning for a smooth transition.