APEX - NZ's specialist union for AST professionals

09/04/2026

APEX member Alex Peterson - Specialised Perfusionist at Auckland City Hospital - spoke to Kathryn Ryan this morning about the vital work his team are doing to keep transplant organs healthy during transport:

The work by a small Auckland team to care for organs donated for transplant.

09/04/2026

“We welcome Health New Zealand’s announcement of additional funding and price controls for maternity ultrasound as a step in the right direction. Thousands of expectant parents will no longer have to worry about large bills for required ultra-sounds,” said Dr Deborah Powell, APEX National Secretary.

Read the full press relase on our website, link is in comments.

31/03/2026

"You shouldn't expect a worker to pay to do their job, and that's what's happening at the moment."..
"the reimbursement is no longer fit for purpose, it needs to go up"

Dr. Deborah Powell, APEX National Secretary on Checkpoint.
- Full interview link in comments

31/03/2026

"... "This is something that the hospital has already recognised they should reimburse people for," [Apex national secretary Dr Deborah Powell] said.

"IRD recognises they should reimburse people for it, because its the cost of work, and it's just that that reimbursement is no longer fit for purpose, it needs to go up."

Other options like providing on-call staff with fleet vehicles or paying for taxis wouldn't be feasible as a solution, she said.

She understood Health NZ's working group was considering its options, but as prices continued to rise, the union would continue to push for an answer. ..."

Full article at RNZ, link below:

Health Minister Simeon Brown says relief could be offered by boosting the existing mileage allowance which workers receive.

19/03/2026

“The number of patients on Capital and Coast’s MRI waiting list has dropped from 1,700 in September 2025 to 650 in March 2026. The 60% reduction in waiting lists is a massive acomplishment and credit to the MR technicians and their managers who have made this possible,” said Dr Deborah Powell, national secretary of APEX.

Read the full press relase on our website, link is in comments.

11/03/2026

Multimillion-dollar investment to bring MRI scanner to Wairarapa Hospital.

"Dr Deborah Powell, national secretary for specialist union APEX, said that with no existing MRI services in the region, there were no technicians, so training staff would be essential to ensure the scanner was fully utilised.

"MRI is a specialty in shortage in New Zealand, and through Diagnostic Boost, we are ramping up all opportunities to train. The training of the MRI techs for Wairarapa will have to come out of Wellington region, [so] it will be a regional effort".

Read the full article in the comments.

08/03/2026

“Our union first started engaging with Hawke’s Bay in mid-2023 when staff were burning out and waiting lists were spiralling out of control.

“Through appropriate investment, rostering and joint problem-solving, we have been able to get waiting lists [significantly down].”

- APEX National Secretary, Dr Deborah Powell

Read the full article here:

'The programme is on track to save around $7m each year due to reduced outsourcing.'

26/02/2026

APEX is celebrating new data evidencing the benefits of investment in publicly delivered imaging (radiology) services.

“What Hawke’s Bay has proven is that sustainable investment and good collaboration between unions and the health service delivers results which are nothing short of miraculous,” said Dr Deborah Powell, APEX national secretary.

“Patients are getting their diagnosis earlier and their acute hospital presentation is more efficient.”

Link to the full press release in comments.

17/02/2026

"Pharmacists and Health New Zealand have reached an agreement on pay and conditions, with members of the union voting to accept HNZ's latest offer.

APEX pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and technicians will receive a 2.5 percent salary increase from January 2026, and a two percent increase in 2027.

A pharmacy engagement group had also been formed, which would look at longstanding issues around safe staffing, monitoring the use of professional development funds, and the duration and frequency of on-call periods."

Read the full article on RNZ here: www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/587070/pharmacists-vote-to-accept-health-nz-pay-offer

15/02/2026

Six APEX collective agreements across Te Whatu Ora and private have ratified in recent weeks.

Thank you to everyone involved throughout the bargaining process, your engagement and solidarity make these outcomes possible.

12/02/2026

Eligibility for funding for prenatal ultrasounds is a postcode lottery depending on where in New Zealand a pregnant woman resides.

APEX's latest report reveals additional co-payments – exceeding $150 per scan in some cases – are deterring some pregnant women from accessing these vital scans, resulting in preventable adverse outcomes for both mothers and babies. Especially impacted by lack of access are those who cannot afford co-payments, overwhelmingly Māori, Pacific, and disabled women.

Read the report here: https://tinyurl.com/44wuxctt