The aged care sector is short one fifth of its nursing workforce and some not-for-profit care providers say they're at breaking point, being forced to close wards and turn away admissions.
There are now 900 nurse vacancies across the sector which usually employs 5000 registered nurses. The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services says staffing is at crisis point, with nurses are leaving community and not-for-profit providers in unprecedented numbers.
The majority are moving into work at public hospitals, where they are paid around $10,000 a year more, but that pay gap could grow to $25,000, if the DHB nurses' current pay claim is successful.
Kathryn speaks with Nikki Hurst, the executive officer of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, whose members run not-for-profit aged care homes around the country and Nicola Turner general manager of Enliven, which runs 14 not-for-profit care homes between Wellington and Taranaki.
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