Podcast appearances and mentions of ruth hill

Critical public health roles - including in emergency management, pandemic preparedness and Maori health - are on the chopping block at the Ministry of Health, with yet another restructuring under way before Christmas. The Public Service Association says the loss of skills and expertise will leave New Zealand vulnerable, as the risk from disease and natural disasters continues to ramp up. Consultation on the changes closes in just over a fortnight and any changes are expected to be in place by April. Ruth Hill reports.

Associate Health Minister Casey Costello is back in the firing line over Big Tobacco's influence, with heated debate during a health select committee today on Government plans to roll out oral tobacco and nicotine products. Last year Cabinet agreed in principal to allow the sale of smokeless products, such as Swedish snus and nicotine pouches, subject to the products meeting safety requirements and regulatory controls to prevent youth access. Ruth Hill reports from the special hearing for Parliament's Scrutiny Week.

Health NZ management is accusing nurses of failing to honour their commitment to provide so-called "life preserving services" during a partial strike. Ruth Hill reports.

Another day, another public service strike, with 2000 firefighters and 17,000 health workers walking off the job nationwide. For both members of the Professional Firefighters Union and the PSA, it was their second strike action in a month, as battlelines with their employers harden. Industrial conflict over deadlocked contract negotiations in health, education and emergency services has the public sector in limbo, with more than 100,000 people taking action in the last month. Ruth Hill reports.

Nurses across the county are refusing to work extra shifts or fill roster gaps, forcing hospital managers to cancel planned care and reduce ward beds where possible. Ruth Hill reports.

More than one in four prescription errors picked up by pharmacists had a potentially serious risk of harm to patients. Ruth Hill reports.

A disability advocate who relies on social media for his work has had his long-standing Facebook account shut down for unspecified reasons. Ruth Hill reports.

Draft BACP Ethical Framework for 2025 – REBT: Clear Definitions In Episode 354 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week's three topics: Firstly, in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice', we explore the draft BACP Ethical Framework for 2025 - highlighting key proposed changes and what they might mean for practitioners. Then in ‘Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Ruth Hill about REBT – Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy – offering clear definitions and practical insights for working with beliefs and emotional responsibility. And finally in ‘Student Services', Rory and Ken discuss how to navigate personal triggers in counselling training - and why these moments offer powerful opportunities for growth. Draft BACP Ethical Framework for 2025 [starts at 03:29 mins] In this section, Rory and Ken discuss the new draft of the BACP Ethical Framework and how it reflects the evolving nature of therapeutic practice. Key points discussed include: The draft framework is currently under consultation and is expected to be finalised in late 2026. It reflects major societal and professional shifts since 2018, including online work, AI, and anti-oppressive practice. The updated framework introduces a clearer, more directive tone - replacing “should” with “must” in many areas. There is a new emphasis on relationships and collaboration, moving away from a purely rules-based approach. Key ethical principles have been rephrased in simpler language to improve clarity and accessibility. Practitioners are encouraged to engage with the framework, reflect on its implications, and prepare for its rollout. Draft BACP Ethical Framework 2025 BACP Ethical Framework 2018 Comparing the BACP Ethical Framework 2018 and 2025 REBT: Clear Definitions [starts at 29:04 mins] In this week's ‘Practice Matters', Rory speaks with integrative REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy) therapist Ruth Hill about her CPD lecture on REBT and how the model supports emotional responsibility and belief change. Key points from this conversation include: REBT is founded on the principle that we are disturbed not by events, but by our beliefs about those events. It encourages clients to take ownership of their emotions by identifying and challenging unhealthy beliefs. The ABCDE model is used to explore activating events, beliefs, consequences, disputes, and emotional effects. Healthy emotions are distinguished from unhealthy ones - supporting clients to feel appropriately without becoming overwhelmed. Disputing techniques help clients develop flexible, reality-based, and empowering alternative beliefs. The ultimate aim is for clients to become their own REBT therapists - building resilience and autonomy. Personal Triggers in Counselling Training [starts at 52:17 mins] In this section, Rory and Ken reflect on how personal triggers in counselling training can emerge and how to manage them constructively. Key points include: Triggers are emotional responses often rooted in past experiences, activated by present-day stimuli. Training environments can unintentionally bring up difficult material - through discussions, peers, or course content. Recognising a trigger is the first step in managing it - grounding techniques and mindfulness can be useful in the moment. Reflection, journaling, and seeking supervision or personal therapy can support deeper processing and growth. Triggers are not a sign of weakness; they offer valuable opportunities for personal and professional development. Tutors and peers can provide compassionate support - creating a safer learning space for everyone involved. Links and Resources Counselling Skills Academy Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide Counsellor CPD Counselling Study Resource

The ongoing whooping cough epidemic remains a major threat to the youngest babies, with more than 3200 in the last year. Ruth Hill reports.

Health New Zealand says the outbreak has not yet reached the point where babies under the age of one need to be immunised early. Ruth Hill reports.

Health officials are scrambling to track down people who have been exposed to measles, which they fear is spreading undetected in the community. Ruth Hill reports.

A rural Northland resident who was acutely unwell with an infection says a friend had to drive him to hospital last month because no ambulances were available. Ruth Hill reports.

Health Minister Simeon Brown has scolded senior doctors in a take-no-prisoners address to their annual conference in Wellington today. In his speech, he accused them of crossing an "ethical line" for choosing strike action, and said they were putting politics before patients. But his words were met with groans, laughter and cries of disbelief from the couple of hundred specialists packing the room - some of whom will be walking off the job again next week over deadlocked contract negotiations. Ruth Hill was there and sent this report.

The traditional family doctor who knows you and your medical history - and probably your mum as well - is increasingly being replaced by corporate employees and video screens. Ruth Hill reports.

More than 240 women have been forced to travel from eastern Bay of Plenty to Tauranga to give birth this year - a third of those being emergency transfers. Ruth Hill reports.

There's been a huge spike in the number of people with traumatic brain injuries losing their ACC weekly compensation. Ruth Hill reports.

Health Minister Simeon Brown says he doesn't rate his accomplishments by applause - which is just as well, because he didn't get any today at the Nurses Organisation annual conference in Wellington. Dozens of angry delegates stood and turned their backs on him during his address, in which he criticised the union for strike action that's delayed care for thousands of patients. Ruth Hill reports.

The father of a man assaulted with a steel bar as a teenager and then hit by a truck has been battling ACC for 10 years. Ruth Hill reports.

Nurses working for hospices and Plunket fear that even if they succeed in their new pay equity claims, they may never see the money. Ruth Hill reports.

Doctors have made impassioned pleas to the government to step back from a law change they say will stop them from speaking out, and cost patient lives. Ruth Hill reports.

A leaked document reveals Health NZ is planning to employ more graduate nurses on part-time hours and cut the amount of on-the-job training they receive. Ruth Hill reports.

The US Health Department's recent announcement that it is cutting funding for mRNA vaccine research sent shockwaves through the scientific world and it also has ripple effects for New Zealand. Ruth Hill reports.

As the Covid pandemic recedes into distant memory, fewer and fewer people are bothering to get boosters. Ruth Hill reports.

A "circuit-breaker"-type treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder - which is having impressive results internationally - will soon be available in this country. Ruth Hill explains.

A child who spent months in a psychiatric hospital with a severe obsessive compulsive disorder was sent home and offered just an hour of therapy a week. Ruth Hill reports.

Patients admitted to Dargaville Hospital overnight are asked to sign a disclaimer confirming they understand there is no doctor on site because of staff shortages. Ruth Hill reports.

Heart disease is costing the country nearly $14 billion a year in direct costs to the health system and early deaths of one in five New Zealanders. That was the stark analysis from Otago University research, which shows chronic under-resourcing of cardiac care is costing lives. Ruth Hill reports. And for more, Health New Zealand's Chief Clinical Officer, Richard Sullivan spoke to Lisa Owen.

A legal expert says it's still a criminal offence to advertise unapproved medicines in New Zealand - despite a government announcement that it has lifted the ban. Ruth Hill reports.

36,000 nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants are on strike for 24 hours over what they say is Health NZ's refusal to staff hospitals at safe levels. One emergency department nurse described the conditions as the worst she's seen in 30 years. Health Minister Simeon Brown insists the pay offer on the table is fair and accuses the union of hurting thousands of patients with its hard-line tactics. Ruth Hill reports.

Nearly 4,500 patients are having procedures or specialist appointments postponed due to the nationwide strike by nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, which kicks off at 9am on Wednesday morning according to Health NZ. Ruth Hill reports.

Thirty-six thousand workers from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation are walking off the job on Wednesday, after talks with Health NZ broke down this week. RNZ health correspondent Ruth Hill spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Thirty health workers - including specialists, GPs and nurses - have signed an open letter to MPs asking them to waive their right to private healthcare during their time in office. Ruth Hill reports.

A highly successful programme with the potential to help thousands of orthopaedic patients waiting in pain for specialist appointments is being stymied by lack of funding. Ruth Hill reports.

Doctors warn ad hoc sharing of patient information between public and private hospitals is putting patients at risk, with the government push to outsource thousands more operations. Ruth Hill reports.

A growing number of families living in communities most vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks are refusing to have their children vaccinated. Ruth Hill reporting.

Health experts claim the ACT Party's red tape-busting Regulatory Standards Bill threatens to harm patients by undermining the public health system. Ruth Hill explains.

A leaked memo shows Wellington Hospital is cutting beds from its gynaecology and maternity wards in a trial aimed at making room for patients from the over-crowded Emergency Department. Ruth Hill reports.

Doctors in Northland are blaming a massive increase in wait times for colonoscopies in the last six months on Health NZ's decision to cut pay rates for locums. Ruth Hill reports.

Hospices are saving the government millions of dollars a year - but they warn critical services are under threat, with nothing for palliative care providers in the Budget. Ruth Hill reports.

Families of dying children are crushed after yet another Budget has failed to deliver hoped-for funding for paediatric palliative care services. Ruth Hill reports.

The Finance Minister Nicola Willis says one in five taxpayer dollars is now going into the health system, with record investment in frontline services. But a leading health policy expert says based on this year's Budget, the public system is treading water or even sinking. Ruth Hill reports.

A leading Northland cardiologist says his patients are much sicker than they would be if they lived in Auckland. Ruth Hill reports.

Disappointed GPs say the lack of cash for them in the Budget may mean patient fees will have to rise, while the senior doctors union has dubbed it "the departure lounge budget". Ruth Hill reports.

Health is a perenial issue for governments, and there will be plenty of interest in how Thursday's budget addresses that. Ruth Hill reports on this year's expectations for health.

10,000 New Zealanders may have lost vision - sometimes permanently - due to toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite spread by cats. Otago University researchers estimate 40-thousand people are affected by ocular toxoplasmosis - one in four seriously - but their efforts to develop new treatments are being hampered by lack of funding. Ruth Hill reports.

Top emergency department doctors say violence is being normalised in understaffed EDs, forcing experienced staff to quit. Ruth Hill reports.

REBT for Pain Management and Exercise - Counselling Skills Feedback In Episode 338 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week's three topics: Firstly, in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice', we explore the essential and sensitive topic of supporting suicidal clients – discussing how therapists can respond ethically and effectively, including risk assessment and safety planning. Then in ‘Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Ruth Hill about her lecture on REBT for pain management and exercise – blending cognitive therapy with physical wellbeing to support client recovery. And lastly, in ‘Student Services', Rory and Ken discuss the importance of receiving and using counselling skills feedback – helping you get the most from peer observations and strengthen your skills in training. Supporting Suicidal Clients [starts at 03:29 mins] In this section, Rory and Ken discuss the sensitive but important issue of supporting suicidal clients, and how to respond appropriately in therapy. Key points discussed include: Suicidal ideation can range from passing thoughts to detailed planning. All expressions should be taken seriously. Risk factors include mental health diagnoses (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder), substance abuse, previous attempts, bereavement, and neurodivergence (particularly autism). Warning signs may present as hopelessness, withdrawal, giving away possessions, or even sudden mood improvements. Therapists should feel confident in: Asking direct, nonjudgmental questions Assessing risk through clarity on plans and means Creating collaborative safety plans with clients Intervention may include providing helpline details, referring to a GP, or involving other services – guided by your therapeutic contract. Documentation, supervision, and appropriate CPD are all essential to ensure ethical and competent practice. REBT for Pain Management and Exercise [starts at 42:15 mins] In this week's ‘Practice Matters', Rory speaks with Ruth Hill about her lecture on REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy), and how it can be used to support pain management and exercise. The key points of this conversation include: REBT explores irrational beliefs and helps clients reframe unhelpful thoughts (e.g. “I can't cope with this pain” becomes “I don't want this pain, but I can cope with it”). Beliefs around pain often increase suffering and decrease motivation. Therapists can help clients notice and challenge cognitive distortions like catastrophising, black-and-white thinking, and mind-reading. Avoidance and guarding behaviour can worsen pain and increase deconditioning. Exercise can be reintroduced gently and collaboratively. Therapists should explore client history around movement – school PE experiences, family values, or previous injuries can shape limiting beliefs. Exercise doesn't have to mean running a marathon – it could mean stretching, walking, or visualising movement to reconnect mind and body. Counselling Skills Feedback [starts at 01:05:57 mins] In this section, Rory and Ken explore how to receive and use feedback on counselling skills, a vital part of developing as a student practitioner. Key points include: In triad skills sessions, the “client” should give feedback first, followed by the observer. Keep feedback constructive – use statements like “I wonder what might have happened if…” instead of criticism. Use observation forms to stay focused – reflect on specific skills such as silence, open questions, or paraphrasing. Sandwich suggestions between two pieces of positive feedback. Not all feedback is right – look for consistent patterns before making major changes. Recording practice sessions can help spot what worked well and what could be improved. Feedback isn't just about ticking boxes – it's about deepening empathy, timing,

Child health experts say a vaccine that's available in about 40 other countries could see an 80 percent drop here in the number of babies who end up in hospital with a potentially deadly lung infection. Ruth Hill explains.

About 5000 senior doctors are walking off the job on Thursday for an unprecedented 24-hour strike from 1201am until 1159pm Friday in protest at their stalled pay talks. Ruth Hill reports.

Some Māori and Pacific healthcare providers say they're losing money on vital immunisation services for high-need communities due to funding shortfalls. Ruth Hill explains.