News
Media Statements
29 November 2004
Emergency Admission Proposal Threatens Patient Safety
“The proposal to co-locate the private accident and medical clinic with the emergency department at Wanganui Hospital is so poorly thought out, so short-sighted, and so focused on questionable cost-cutting that it risks threatening standards of care and therefore patient safety,” said Mr
“The proposal is based on simplistic and inaccurate assumptions on critical issues such as who does triage, patient admission rates, and necessary staffing levels. If implemented
“One absurd and bizarre feature of the proposal is the intention to severely cut the number of nurses and doctors in the emergency department when, in fact, there are currently shortages in both areas.”
“Although the proposal has an underlying cost-cutting agenda it is fiscally irresponsible with its cumbersome move to user charges for patients coming to
“Furthermore, in the unlikely event that the proposal was to succeed in reducing patient admissions in the emergency department, then this would most likely reduce government funding which is linked to the volume of admissions.”
“The proposal also conflicts with the district health board’s contractual obligations under the recently negotiated national collective agreement covering DHB-employed senior doctors, with particular reference to consultation and patient safety.”
“If the DHB seeks to implement this poor quality and high risk proposal, then it will incur the strong opposition of senior doctors. It needs to think again and reject the proposal as a bad job,” concluded Mr Powell.
Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
