14 Dec 2010

Health strikes costly for capital's DHB

9:01 pm on 14 December 2010

The Wellington Capital and Coast District Health Board says strikes cost it more than $2 million this year.

The DHB's acting chief executive officer released the details at the first meeting of the new board on Monday.

Shaun Drummond says the cash-strapped DHB lost $2.1 million in revenue and paid an extra $650,000 in order to out-source laboratory and radiology work because of industrial action.

District health boards faced partial and full strikes over at least five months of this year by radiographers and medical lab workers.

Radiographers last week accepted a pay offer and lab workers are considering one.