Perfusionists

In 2024, APEX and Te Whatu Ora signed a new collective agreement for perfusionists.

This is the first national perfusion agreement in New Zealand and replaced three DHB based collective agreements between APEX and Auckland, Waikato and Wellington Hospitals.

Since 1958, perfusionists have been part of the team providing cardiopulmonary bypass to patients having cardiac surgery in New Zealand.

Perfusionists are also crucial to the provision of Te Whatu Ora’s ECMO and national organ transplant services.

The collective agreement for perfusionists contains provisions specific and tailored to the employment needs of perfusionists including:

• Salary and overtime rates;
• Hours of work and on call;
• Leave and holidays;
• Continuing medical education.

Beyond collective bargaining, APEX supports perfusionists in all aspects of their employment including health and safety, restructuring and individual employment matters.