The union has concerns about both the integrated family health centre (IFHC) proposed for Queenstown and the interim measures which would limit access to the existing hospital's emergency department from July and refer non-urgent patients to general practice doctors between 8am and 10pm.
NZNO industrial adviser Glenda Alexander said the union was trying to influence the Southern District Health Board's decision-making to ensure the best possible clinical outcome which would not impact too much on its 33 members involved.
The union is worried about the pressure nurses could be under if they have to triage patients and send them to general practice because they are considered non-urgent.
Ms Alexander said there was concern changes were being driven by costs rather than safety issues.
Improvements could have been made to the "current arrangement rather than ditching the whole thing", she said.
She was concerned the report of the clinical advisory group, which included nursing representation, appeared to have been sidelined, something which did not inspire confidence or trust in the process.
In an update on the nurses' position, the union's southern regional organiser, Mike Yeats, said triage nurses could not lawfully tell a patient they would not be seen in an emergency department. They already encouraged patients with definite primary care conditions to attend a family doctor.
Another issue was how possible staffing reductions during the existing "swing shift" - from 12.30pm to 9pm - could affect the safety of the service.
Ms Alexander said there were worries about the number of back-up staff on at that time and the speed with which they could get urgent assistance if required.
Regarding the proposal for an IFHC as a private-public partnership at Remarkables Park, the union wanted to know what the potential professional and clinical risks were.
Mr Yeats said there was uncertainty about who the employer would be under an IFHC.
There were also concerns about how clinical criteria would be set and administered with both private and public care provided at one site.
