Seventeen Defence Force nurses were called in to help in hospitals during the recent nurses' strike.
Ron Mark said 17 Defence Force nurses were called in to assist. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
The Defence Minister, Ron Mark, made the statement in Parliament before Question Time this afternoon.
He said it followed a request from the Health Minister, David Clark, for a small detachment of Regular Force nurses able to perform general nursing duties in the event of a strike.
"On 12th July, seventeen New Zealand Defence Force nurses undertook nursing duties at five Ministry of Health priority locations across New Zealand to support the provision of life-preserving services agreed between the district health boards and the Nurses Organisation."
Mr Mark said the nurses worked in Waikato, Canterbury, Invercargill, Palmerston North and Taupō.
"Fifteen of the nurses worked in emergency departments while two of the nurses worked in Waikato intensive care."
Dr Clark thanked the nurses from the Defence Force who assisted during the strike and also other nurses who did work on the day of the strike to make sure life-preserving services were in place.
"It's happened in the past, the army are there for a range of reasons and they make themselves available to help, the nurses in the workforce made themselves available to help - everyone worked constructively together to make sure that safety came first."