At least a dozen patients at North Shore Hospital were
unable to vote in the general election, and there could be
others, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO
says.
NZNO delegate Sophie Tomes says NZNO is
surveying its members at North Shore Hospital and Middlemore
Hospital to reveal the extent of the issue after concerns
were raised about numerous patients being unable to
vote.
“At both North Shore and Middlemore the
Electoral Commission had mobile voting teams onsite only on
Friday 6 November. This is despite NZNO delegates urging the
Electoral Commission ahead of election day to make the teams
available on election day.
“Our patients have been
denied democracy,” Sophie Tomes says. “We have confirmed
that at least 12 patients at North Shore were unable to vote
including five from the Elective Surgery Centre, four from
Ward 4 and three from Ward 15.
“These patients were
bedridden and unable to get to the mobile voting team. They
have been denied their democratic right. NZNO members
reported voting for them personally was more challenging
than previous elections with long queues on the Friday also
preventing busy nurses from having their say.
“This
has added to nurses’ workloads and caused considerable
distress, with nurses left supporting distressed patients,
some of whom were unable to cast their votes.
“Unlike
previous elections, there was very limited time for patients
to vote. Electoral Commission staff were only on site on the
Friday and were unable to reach all the patients who wanted
to vote.
“NZNO understands the responsibility for
organising patient voting shifted onto nurses following the
disbanding of the Patient Experience team, which previously
undertook this work. NZNO calls on Te Whatu Ora and the
Electoral Commission to explain how this happened,” Sophie
Tomes
says.
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