Proposed Law Changes Threaten Public Hospitals

Media Statement - 16 July 2010

"The government’s proposed changes to employment law threaten the stability of our public hospitals and, as a result, patient care,” said Mr Ian Powell, referring to the reported proposal to extend the right of employers to dismiss without justification new employees within 90 days to all employers.

 

Latest from the Executive

2 July 2010

This third issue of Executive Direct for 2010 reports on the last Executive meeting on 1 July. The next Executive meeting is scheduled for 9 September 2010. Matters covered include:

1. National DHB MECA Negotiations

2. Session with Council of Trade Unions

3. Advertising in ASMS Publications and Website

4. NZ Public Health and Disability Act: Amendment Bill

5. Medical Council Statements

6. National Executive: Regional Representatives

 

Bonding Scheme Won't Solve Shortages Crisis

Media Statement - 1 July 2010

The government’s voluntary bonding scheme for health professionals has much merit but it is delusional if it believes that it will help solve New Zealand’s senior hospital doctor shortages crisis.

 

Heroes and Vigilantes

Jeff Brown, National President

Most hospitals are designed for the nineteenth century. Most doctors don’t know how to share power. Most patients with complicated problems don’t receive coordinated care.

 

ACC Chair Badly Missed the Plot

Media Statement - 27 June 2010

John Judge, Chair of the ACC, has missed the plot with his statement that public hospitals and doctors should be financially penalised when patients have treatment injuries

 

High Risk Warning: NZ losing future Specialists

The Specialist, June issue - lead story

"... if the government and DHBs do not face up to this risk of the increasing loss of registrars to specialist positions overseas, an economic analysis might challenge why New Zealand continues to train young doctors".

 

Loss of Specialist Workforce is Unsustainable

Media Statement - 20 June 2010

Around half of the senior registrars in their last year of specialist training go overseas, mainly to Australia, to take up their first specialist appointment. These are the doctors that taxpayers make a significant financial investment in to be New Zealand’s future specialist workforce. Losing so many of them overseas is financial irresponsibility.

For background information see: "NZ registrars lost to overseas employers"

 

Minister of Health cannot have his cake and eat it

CTU Media Statement - 16 June 2010

Minister of Health Tony Ryall’s statement in Parliament yesterday, which implied that the Health budget is both keeping up with inflation and demographic change and will deliver “massively improved front-line services”, does not withstand scrutiny, says CTU Economist, Bill Rosenberg.

 

Did the Budget provide enough for Health?

A paper by CTU Policy Director, Dr Bill Rosenberg

The Health Vote in the 2010 Budget was barely adequate to keep up with rising costs and population growth and ageing, but not adequate to fund new treatments, Instead it funded increases in services at the cost of cuts in others.

Budget expected to lead to cuts in Health Services

Media Statement - 20 May 2010

Funding for district health boards is short by at least $100 million of what is needed to maintain existing services at their existing level, let alone improve services.... It is going to be a tough year for patients and for senior doctors struggling to provide them with accessible quality health care.

 

Budget - Risk of Shock Therapy for Health Sector

Media Statement - 16 May 2010

“The government should listen to the warnings over the level of health funding in the Budget,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of ASMS in response to the analysis of the Council of Trade Unions that an additional $555 million was required if the health system is simply to maintain itself and cope with population growth.

Background Papers

"How much funding is needed to avoid the condition of the Health System worsening" - CTU Working Paper on Health No. 2, 14 May 2010.

For a related discussion see also: "New Zealand's ageing population and Health Expenditure" - CTU Working Paper on Health No. 1, March 2010.

 

NZ's public health care at crossroads

Article by Lyndon Keene, The Press, 3 May 2010

When Prime Minister John Key told Parliament in February that extra money for health services would "be more limited for several years", he was, in effect, signalling more health cuts after the Budget. No surprises there.

The ageing of the population, the emergence of new and more expensive technologies, and people's rising expectations all add to the rising pressure on health care. Health services are all too easily portrayed as a drain on the country's wealth.

For the full article see: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/perspective/3649189/NZs-public-health-care-at-crossroads

 

In Good Hands report

The ASMS welcomes Health Minister, Tony Ryall’s commitment requiring district health boards to transform their decision-making by introducing genuine clinical leadership, in the In Good Hands report recommending the introduction of comprehensive clinical leadership in DHBs. Mr Ryall has endorsed the report and expects DHBs to be guided by it in implementing clinical leadership. In Good HandsMinister of Health's media release