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Media Statements

12 May 2006

Otago and Southland DHBs Irresponsible Over Privatising Hospital Laboratories

“The Otago and Southland DHBs are continuing to behave in a fiscally irresponsible way over their decision today to recommend to the Minister of Health the privatisation of its hospital laboratories,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“The DHBs have treated with contempt the experience and expertise of hospital laboratory staff by actively excluding them from the decision-making process.  They have also breached the vital employment rights of the laboratory staff and are now expecting the Health Minister to endorse this shoddy behaviour.”

“For the DHBs to recommend privatisation of a core health service critical to the services provided by the rest of their public hospitals without engaging their expert staff over the fiscal and other risks is irresponsible.”

“The DHBs have disregarded the requirement from the government that DHBs actively engage with their health professionals.  And now they expect the Health Minister to accept this.”

“There is no way that the Health Minister can robustly consider the privatisation, with all its risks and dangers and with all the employment disputes that need to be resolved, in time to meet their 1 June deadline.”

“The DHBs are playing a political game trying to box the Minister into a corner in order to make him a mere lapdog,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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