Senior doctors and dentists have walked off the job en masse today, for the first time ever, over their deadlocked pay negotiations.
Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand says about 250 planned care procedures would be affected, but stressed it had contingency plans in place.
It maintains its latest deal is a fair one, but the doctors say it has failed to keep up with inflation.
Nationwide, there were picket lines outside 28 hospitals from Whangarei to Invercargill, with doctors asking if New Zealand wants a public health system, or not.
Ruth Hill reports.
