APEX Union have announced their members in Whangarei, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and the South Island will take industrial action (strike) on February 5 and 7, 2025. The strike is a full withdrawal of labour, which means APEX Union members who work in the laboratory, collection centres, and logistics and support staff (in some regions), will strike on these days.
As these dates fall either side of Waitangi Day, most of our services across the South Island will be closed, with no routine services available across the three-day period (5-7 February). All regions will have life preserving services.
Our teams are working closely with Health NZ to manage the impacts to hospital services and the wider health sector. Priority will be ensuring those who are seriously ill still receive the critical, life preserving services they need.
All collection centres are closed on Thursday 6 February for the Waitangi Day public holiday. Please click on your region below for more information on what services are impacted on February 5 and 7.
Dunedin
Collection centres:
| Dunedin | |
| Hospital Ward rounds | Unavailable |
| Filleul St Collection Centre | Closed |
| South Dunedin Collection Centre | Closed |
| Marinoto Collection Centre | Closed |
| Mosgiel Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
| Dunedin Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
| Balclutha | |
| Balclutha Collection Centre | Closed |
- Routine courier services – UNAVAILABLE
- Life preserving services only – between 0800 – 1700. Please call 0800 101 444 or 03 470 2919 to arrange.
- Specimen collection:
- We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving requests can be accepted.
- Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between 5 and 7 February that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
- Laboratory services:
- Life preserving services only.
- Microbiology services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, and aspirates; routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February.
- Normal services will continue Monday 10 February.
- If you need to contact a clinical microbiologist, you can do so by using our new instant, secure, online clinical portal that provides direct access to Awanui clinical microbiologists. Connect here.
- Histology
- Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the industrial action.
*Life Preserving Services:
The Code defines Life preserving services to mean:
- Crisis intervention for the preservation of life;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information of potentially life-threatening conditions;
- Crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability
Dunstan
Collection centres:
| Dunstan Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
| Ward Rounds | Critically Urgent Only |
- Routine Awanui Courier Services: UNAVAILABLE
- Critically urgent services only – Please call 03 440 4305 to arrange a pickup.
- External couriers operating as usual
- Specimen Collection:
- We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only critically urgent requests will be accepted.
- Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between 5 and 7 February that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
- Laboratory Services:
- Critically urgent requests only that can be tested onsite at Dunstan.
- Please call the Dunstan Lab to confirm test list if required. 03 440 4305
- Microbiology Services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate. routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February.
- Normal services will continue Monday 10 February.
- If you need to contact a clinical microbiologist, you can do so by using our new instant, secure, online clinical portal that provides direct access to Awanui clinical microbiologists. Connect here.
- Histology
- Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.
*Life Preserving Services:
The Code defines Life preserving services to mean:
- Crisis intervention for the preservation of life;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information of potentially life-threatening conditions;
- Crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability
Invercargill
Collection Centres:
| Invercargill | |
| Hospital Ward rounds | Unavailable |
| Invercargill Hospital Clinic | Closed |
| Don Street Collection Centre | Closed |
| Windsor Village Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
| Gore | |
| Gore Medical Collection Centre | Closed |
| Gore Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
- Couriers Services – Unavailable
- Specimen Collection:
- We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving requests will be accepted.
- Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between 5 and 7 February that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
- Laboratory Services:
- Life preserving services only.
- Please utilise Point of Care (Blood gas) testing where possible.
- NB: POC equipment at Gore Hospital will still be available for testing during the 24hr strike period.
- Microbiology Services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate. routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February.
- Normal services will continue Monday 10 February.
- If you need to contact a clinical microbiologist, you can do so by using our new instant, secure, online clinical portal that provides direct access to Awanui clinical microbiologists. Connect here.
- Histology
- Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.
*Life Preserving Services:
The Code defines Life preserving services to mean:
- Crisis intervention for the preservation of life;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information of potentially life-threatening conditions;
- Crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability
Oamaru
Collection Centres:
| Oamaru Hospital Collection Centre | Closed |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
- Routine Courier Services: UNAVAILABLE
- Specimen Collection:
- We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving requests will be accepted.
- Laboratory Services:
- Critically Urgent Sample Processing Only Please do NOT request any test that is not life preserving or critically urgent.
- Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between 5 and 7 February that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
- Please call 03 433 0263 to arrange critically urgent collections.
- NB: The iSTAT will be available for the hospital to use in the same manner as usual.
- Microbiology Services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate. routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February.
- Normal services will continue Monday 10 February.
- If you need to contact a clinical microbiologist, you can do so by using our new instant, secure, online clinical portal that provides direct access to Awanui clinical microbiologists. Connect here.
- Histology
- Please restrict requests. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.
*Life Preserving Services:
The Code defines Life preserving services to mean:
- Crisis intervention for the preservation of life;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information of potentially life-threatening conditions;
- Crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability
Queenstown
Collection Centres:
| Frankton Collection Centre | Closed |
| Queenstown Medical Centre Collection Centre | Closed |
| Hospital Ward Rounds | Unavailable |
| Home Visits | Unavailable |
- Routine Courier Services: UNAVAILABLE
- Life preserving services only – Please call 03 4423875 option 5 to arrange a pickup.
- Specimen Collection:
- We ask that you do not collect or send in your own specimens during this time. Only life preserving requests will be accepted.
- Please plan for these dates and do not hold clinics between 5 and 7 February that will need any type of laboratory testing sent in, including HPV, immigration, histology, and sexual health clinics.
- Laboratory Services:
- Life Preserving Services only.
- Please utilize the Abbot ISTAT Point of Care analyser for Blood Gases, Chem 8, Tni, Bni and HCG
- Microbiology Services:
- Due to the prolonged nature of microbiology work, including urines, faeces, sputum, swabs, aspirate. routine microbiology samples cannot be sent to the laboratory and will not be processed from Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February.
- Normal services will continue Monday 10 February.
- If you need to contact a clinical microbiologist, you can do so by using our new instant, secure, online clinical portal that provides direct access to Awanui clinical microbiologists. Connect here.
- Histology
- Please restrict requests and hold until Monday 10 February. Turnaround time will be affected by the Industrial Action.
*Life Preserving Services:
The Code defines Life preserving services to mean:
- Crisis intervention for the preservation of life;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which life would be jeopardised;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information of potentially life-threatening conditions;
- Crisis intervention for the prevention of permanent disability;
- Care required for therapeutic services without which permanent disability would occur;
- Urgent diagnostic procedures required to obtain information on conditions that could potentially lead to permanent disability