The CEO of Hospice New Zealand is not "very confident" in the commitment made to nurses in Wednesday night's Newshub leaders debate.
It comes as 12 leading primary care organisations issued a grim warning that they're at risk of collapse due to staff shortages and a lack of funding.
Whānau Āwhina Plunket, Family Planning and Te Kahu Pairuri o Aotearoa / Hospice New Zealand have all been forced to cut back or close some services.
On Wednesday, Newshub reported retaining nursing staff in primary care is a major pressure issue for the sector, with many leaving for higher-paid hospital roles.
During Newshub's leaders debate, moderator Patrick Gower asked Labour and National leaders if they thought nurses who work at general practices should be paid the same as those employed at a hospital.
National leader Christopher Luxon said no matter where the nurse works, whether it be in aged care, community practices or at Te Whatu Ora "they should be paid the same".
Luxon said he would get it done if elected, and so will Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
"Yes and we've put $200 million in just this year to achieve that," Hipkins said.
But Hospice New Zealand chief executive Wayne Naylor isn't holding his breath.
"I don’t feel very confident because our experience in the past is the government just puts band-aids on our services, one off bits of money that doesn't provide a sustainable way forward."
On Thursday, Naylor told AM hospices have been "carrying for a while" a nursing vacancy of about 10 percent, which works out to be 60 nursing jobs across a workforce of about 600.
"From an economic perspective they're leaving because they need to earn more money, not because they want to change jobs."
He said Aotearoa's overall nurses' shortage and the inability to retain staff is taking its toll.
"That's having an impact to deliver services into the community, they're having to reduce inpatient beds in some cases and manage very carefully referral to their services, so they don't overwhelm the staff they have."
Hospice nurses are paid through partial funding from the Crown, as well as funds raised through Hospice's secondhand stores and fundraising.
"[It's] becoming incredibly difficult now with the economic situation, the cost of living, people don't have as much money to give as they used to," Naylor said.
"Where Hospices want to pay the same as Te Whatu Ora to keep their nurses or to recruit them, they're having to use their reserves, they can't rely on community funding."
Naylor warns there's a "high risk" of hospices running out of their reserves if nothing is done.
Watch the full video above for more.
