Elective services, paediatric outreach clinics, outpatient clinics staffed by nurses, dialysis clinics, Nelson hospital Ward 9 and cardiology services excluding urgent and emergency care will be closed for the duration. General manager of clinical services Pat Davidsen said in a statement NMH had contacted affected patients directly to postpone appointments, to make sure there were enough staff free to continue caring for long-stay patients and the emergency department. “We apologise in advance for the disruption this may cause, but this is a necessary measure to ensure that we can concentrate on continuing to provide safe care on the day of the strike,” he said.