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Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS)
Working for better health care in New Zealand
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) – Toi Mata Hauora represents the professional and industrial interests of senior salaried doctors and dentists around New Zealand. Most of our members are employed by district health boards in New Zealand's public hospitals but some also work in hospices, union health centres and other places. Our membership also includes salaried GPs.
ASMS promotes the right of equal access for New Zealanders to high quality health services, articulates our members' professional concerns, advises members on employment-related matters, negotiates collective employment agreements on behalf of ASMS members, and supports workplace empowerment and distributive clinical leadership.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) - Latest News [Page 1]
Senior Medical And Dental Officers 24-hour Strike In Te Tai Tokerau
Monday, 16 June 2025, 8:04 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
This district strike is part of an ongoing industrial dispute. More >>
Budget 2025 - What Vote Health Needs Just To Stay Afloat
Tuesday, 20 May 2025, 1:03 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
"Year on year specialists in our public hospitals are being asked to do more and more," says ASMS policy director Harriet Wild. More >>
Te Whatu Ora’s Failed Pay Offer Cements Strike Action For Senior Doctors
Monday, 28 April 2025, 2:21 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
"On an annualised basis, Te Whatu Ora’s offer would increase pay by 0.77 per cent," ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton says. More >>
Staffing Shortages Putting Patient Safety At Risk At Nelson Hospital
Friday, 28 February 2025, 3:45 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
An email sent to clinicians earlier today advised between 1600 and 2200 the hospital will have no medical registrar. Nelson’s emergency department is staffed to see 70 to 80 patients a day, but they regularly see more than 100 a day. More >>
Te Whatu Ora’s Workforce Plan Expects Everyone To Settle For Less
Tuesday, 10 December 2024, 6:02 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Te Whatu Ora’s 2024 Workforce Plan is laced with political double-speak which cannot mask the fact our health system is being asked to do more with too few resources. More >>
Doctors, Nurses, Practice Owners And Their Professional Bodies All Urge The Minister To Pause Over Physician Associates
Thursday, 17 October 2024, 2:00 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
"There is no task that a physician associate would potentially perform, that is not already being undertaken by a currently regulated health worker who is already trained and employed here in Aotearoa," says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton. More >>
Senior Doctors Support Buller March To Fix Health System
Saturday, 28 September 2024, 1:41 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
What is happening in Buller is happening across the country and communities need to stand together to ensure they get safe, equitable and fit-for-purpose health care not delivered through a telephone line. More >>
Health Budget Just Treading Water
Monday, 17 June 2024, 1:52 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Deeper analysis of the 2024/25 Health Budget reveals just a 0.4 per cent real-terms increase in operational health funding, far short of what is needed to address systemic staffing issues or achieve ambitious health targets set by the Minister of Health. More >>
Budget Leaves Health System Struggling To Keep Up
Thursday, 30 May 2024, 3:23 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
The budget will keep the public health sectors lights on, barely, and does not address increasing unmet need, longer waiting lists and over-stretched staff. "This budget falls short," ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton says. More >>
Critical Condition Of Emergency Departments Harming Whole Health System
Friday, 3 May 2024, 6:20 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Driving the increases in serious acute admissions is New Zealand’s growing unmet health need - 34.3 per cent of New Zealanders have unmet health need due to wait times, cost or distances to travel. More >>
Luxon’s Health Targets Delusional Without Workforce Measures
Wednesday, 10 April 2024, 2:43 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
"Staff shortages are a factor, both in longer stays in ED and wait times for elective procedures." More >>
Te Whatu Ora Fails To Pay Doctors - Union Calls For Ministerial Intervention
Thursday, 29 February 2024, 9:23 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Te Whatu Ora is failing to meet its contractual obligations to pay its senior doctors correctly and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Toi Mata Hauora is calling on Minister of Health Dr. Shane Reti to step in to fix ongoing payroll issues. ... More >>
Toi Mata Hauora ASMS Completes Pay Negotiations With Te Whatu Ora - Achieves CPI Increase
Friday, 1 December 2023, 10:22 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists have settled their pay negotiations with Te Whatu Ora ending months of bargaining and industrial action. More than 90 per cent of polled ASMS members voted to accept Te Whatu Ora’s latest pay offer ... More >>
Senior Doctors' Strike To Escalate To Full Days As Pay Talks Stall
Friday, 15 September 2023, 1:34 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Senior Doctors and Dentists employed by Te Whatu Ora will strike for 24 hours as industrial action intensifies. ASMS members voted overwhelmingly for two additional strikes in October. This includes a 12-hour strike on October 2 and a 24-hour strike ... More >>
A Good Day For Teeth
Saturday, 2 September 2023, 8:17 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Today’s announcement by the Labour Party of free dental for under-30s, alongside the Green Party’s already announced policy of free dental for all, means we are making real progress on oral health, says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton. "The ... More >>
Our Doctors Are Leaving The Public Health System
Thursday, 31 August 2023, 3:00 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
At the same time as collective agreement negotiations with Te Whatu Ora have broken down and senior doctors and dentists are about to embark on unprecedented strike action, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Toi Mata Hauora is releasing ... More >>
Te Whatu Ora’s Workforce Data Mystifies Doctors
Tuesday, 22 August 2023, 1:30 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Senior doctors are mystified by many of the figures Te Whatu Ora is issuing in response to yesterday’s vote to strike, says ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton. "Their figures about average earnings of a senior doctor, pay increases they claim to be ... More >>
Senior Doctors To Take Unprecedented Strike Action
Monday, 21 August 2023, 5:47 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Senior doctors and dentists employed by Te Whatu Ora have voted resoundingly in favour of nationwide strikes for the first time in New Zealand, following the breakdown of their pay negotiations. The strike action comes as negotiations between Te Whatu ... More >>
Third Medical School Is Good Thinking - ASMS
Wednesday, 5 July 2023, 11:54 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Toi Mata Hauora is heartened by the National Party’s proposal to establish a third medical school in Kirikiriroa. "We need to train and retain more doctors here in Aotearoa. We cannot maintain ... More >>
Fifty New Med School Places A Good Start But Only The Beginning
Friday, 16 June 2023, 2:57 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists - Toi Mata Hauora has welcomed the Government’s decision to increase medical student numbers. "More medical students strengthen our medical workforce pipeline," said ASMS Executive Director Sarah ... More >>
