The union representing senior doctors is defending plans for industrial action, saying patient safety is already being sacrificed by a depleted health system.
More than 5000 members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) are set to strike for 24 hours on 1 May.
It comes after several months of pay negotiations between the union and Te Whatu Ora hit the skids.
The ASMS union sought a 12 percent pay increase with the health agency, but was met with an offer of between 1 and 1.5 percent.
Executive director Sarah Dalton said Te Whatu Ora have been unwilling to move from their offer, or comprehensively discuss the union's claim.
"We're stuck," she said.
The ASMS has about 6100 members in total, including about 5500 employed by Te Whatu Ora.
The union's members striked in September 2023 during previous pay talks, although this was for periods of two to four hours.
It would be the first 24 hour strike that ASMS members had undertaken, Dalton said.
When asked if patient safety would be compromised by the planned strike, Dalton said this was already happening every day in the health system.
"Patients are a sacrificial lamb to our under-staffed health service every single day," she said.
"If Te Whatu Ora invested in the doctors and other health workers we needed, we wouldn't be having to take this action.
"We are wildly short-staffed and the employer is not putting in proper retention and recruitment strategies in place to retain the doctors we need."
The average senior doctor vacancy rate sat at 12 percent, although some hospitals had vacancy rates as high as 45 percent.
Dalton also challenged claims by Health Minister Simeon Brown that senior doctors were paid an average salary of $343,500.
"I'm not sure where he's found the numbers that he's citing."
She said the average salary for senior doctors was closer to $240,000 a year.
Senior doctors at the top end of the salary scale in New Zealand were being paid less than their counterparts at the bottom end of the New South Wales scale, Dalton said.
"We are bleeding people to Australia," she said.
Health New Zealand "disappointed"
On Tuesday Health New Zealand said it was "disappointed" and "very concerned" about the impact the planned strike would have on patients.
In a statement, the agency's chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan said if the planned strike went ahead it could cause the cancellation of around 4300 planned procedures or first specialist appointments, alongside the postponement of thousands of radiology procedures.
"We are disappointed that this planned strike action will impact on the work our teams are doing to bring down wait times for New Zealanders and will result in further delays for people who need care," he said.
"We remain focused on reaching a settlement with ASMS and avoiding any disruption to patients and the wider health system.
"We believe that proposals presented in bargaining to date are fair given the current economic situation."
Public hospitals and emergency departments would remain open and health professionals would still be available to ensure critical health services were in place, Sullivan said.
"We will work with ASMS to ensure the continued delivery of critical hospital services and to minimise the impact of the strike on other care services.
"To maintain patient safety, some clinics will be closed and planned care appointments will be postponed.
"All patients impacted by the strike will be contacted directly by hospital staff."
Health New Zealand said any appointments deferred because of strike action would be rescheduled.
In a series of posts on X, Health Minister Simeon Brown lamented the move of senior doctors striking.
"Striking won't shorten waitlists. Walking off the job won't fix system pressure. But it will delay care for thousands of New Zealanders who've already waited too long."
Health New Zealand remained at the table and ready to negotiate in good faith, Brown said.
"Striking isn't leadership. It's failing patients - and New Zealanders expect better."
