No further dates for meetings between District Health Boards New Zealand and the New Zealand Resident Doctors Association have been set, making the planned limited strike for 48 hours increasingly inevitable.
In Dunedin, contingency planning continues and most patients who would be affected by the action should know of any changes by today, Otago board operations manager Megan Boivin said yesterday.
There would be no elective surgery during the strike and outpatient clinics would be restricted, as doctors working in them would be needed to provide acute cover.
Statements from both sides of the dispute yesterday following their talks with a mediator indicated the parties are still a long way apart.
The union says it has reduced its salary claim by a third, but this was not accepted by DHBNZ, with spokesman David Meates saying the wage demand was still more than double other health settlements.
An offer of lump sum payments between $3000 and $4000 and a $1000 retention payment, along with an agreement to continue negotiating, were turned down by the union.
Resident Doctors Association executive member Dr Derryn Bicknell, who was part of the association's negotiating team, said the boards' package was designed to avoid the strike and would not improve salaries.
The offer would not have settled the contract beyond June.
Health Minister David Cunliffe said he was disappointed at the lack of progress and called on both sides to reconsider their positions and recommence discussions in advance of the strike.
He gave no indication he would become directly involved.
