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Media Statements

6 December 2007

ACT MP Condemned for attack on senior doctors; apology deserved

“ACT MP Heather Roy should be condemned for her reprehensible and unjustified attack on senior doctors, nurses and other health professionals at Capital & Coast DHB,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.  Mr Powell was responding to Mrs Roy’s description of Wellington Hospital as a ‘killer hospital’.

“The only reasonable interpretation that one can make of her comment is that she is attacking the competence and skills of Capital & Coast DHB’s senior doctors, nurses and other health professionals.  This disgraceful attack is unfair, untrue and unprincipled.  She is attacking those who are providing high quality patient care while having to working in difficult circumstances.  She is kicking them in the teeth.”

“The recent report of adverse outcomes for patients involved less than 0.1% of admitted patients.  By international standards this is impressive and a tribute to the quality standards and skills of Capital & Coast DHB’s health professionals.”

“Capital & Coast staff were not even involved in the tragedy of the prematurely discharged new born baby who subsequently died.  That was the decision of a private operator allowed by law to have considerable autonomy while using Capital & Coast facilities.  Ironically if Heather Roy’s ideology was to be fully applied to public hospitals then this risk would seriously increase.”

“Heather Roy was a health professional herself before entering Parliament.  She should know better.  She needs to apologise to Capital & Coast’s senior doctors and other health professionals for her shameful outburst now,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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