The South Island neurosurgery service will continue to have centres in Christchurch and Dunedin, but it will look radically different and will have an independent Governance Board chaired by one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons, the Acting Director General of Health, Andrew Bridgman, announced today. 

The full report is available here. 

“The decision of the Minister of Health to drop Auckland District Health Board chair Pat Snedden by not reappointing him is an unfortunate loss to the health system,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ASMS. “My relationship with Mr Snedden ranged between good and robust. We had some blunt disagreements but the robustness was always positive. I was impressed by his values, integrity, intellect, and willingness to listen and seriously consider other points of view."

Senior doctors today congratulated Green MP, Kevin Hague, for his successful amendment to the Public Health and Disability Amendment Bill currently before Parliament.  His amendment removed the proposed self-funding requirement for the much needed new Quality and Safety Commission.  That requirment risked making the new commission financially unviable and would have compromised its independence and integrity becaise of the danger of being beholden to its funders. 

"The government’s proposed changes to the Employment Relations Act risk creating an environment of intimidation in the health system,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ASMS, today.  Yesterday the Association made oral submissions on the Employment Relations Amendment Bill (No.2) to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee

“New Director-General of Health Dr Kevin Woods should be given a fair go and not damned before his arrival,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ASMS.  “There are advantages in appointing a Director-General of Health from a country such as Scotland.  Scotland has a strong commitment to strengthening the capacity of public hospitals, and is a world leader in workforce planning and in the development of health professional led regional clinical networks.  Someone with this background would be a considerable asset to New Zealand.”

“Senior doctors and the 20 district health boards have agreed upon an innovative ‘holding pattern’ in their negotiations for a national collective agreement,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, and Ms Karen Roach, spokesperson for the 20 DHBs, today

“The severity of the specialist workforce crisis in New Zealand’s public hospitals has been highlighted in a paper released today,”

“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, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today

“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,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“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,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“The loss of public hospital specialists to Australia is unsustainable,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of  ASMS.

“Our investigations have revealed that 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."

“Senior doctors commend the appointments announced by the Minister of Health to the interim board of the new Health Quality and Safety Commission,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the ASMS.

“This new important commission will have a critical role in actively promoting a culture and practice of greater quality and safety in the health system."

“The Budget’s health funding is expected to lead to cuts in health services,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“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 improving services.”

“The proposed radical restructuring of the new Southern District Health Board is highly risky, both clinically and financially,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.  Mr Powell was responding to the proposal to restructure the recently merged Otago and Southland DHB.

“The government should listen to the warnings over the level of health funding in the Budget,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“In last year’s budget the government increased funding to DHBs by around $750 million. In this year’s budget the rate of increase is expected to be dramatically slashed by around half this amount. There is a serious risk that using such a blunt fiscal instrument will force DHBs to adopt ‘shock therapy’ measures with the victims being patients.”

“Nurses have raised legitimate concerns about a physician assistant pilot based on using American health workers at Counties Manukau District Health Board,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today. Mr Powell was responding to the concerns raised by the Nurses Organisation reported in the Sunday Star Times today.

“Senior doctors employed by the Southland District Health Board at Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown feel betrayed by the proposed privatisation of the public hospital,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“The decision of the South Canterbury District Health Board to terminate its contract with its Primary Health Organisation and take over the functions itself is a positive initiative,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“Health Minister Tony Ryall’s decision to approve the merger of the Otago and Southland district health boards is premature and unwise,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“International data highlights the appalling shortages of hospital specialists in New Zealand,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“The Southland DHB needs to take time out for a cup of tea in order to seriously consider issues raised in the increasing opposition from Southland senior doctors and nurses over the proposed merger with Otago DHB,” . . .

“The reported loss of cancer specialists highlights the wider senior doctor workforce crisis in New Zealand public hospitals,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists and the Independent Practitioners Association Council have reached an historic agreement to work together to promote clinical leadership and governance in the New Zealand health system,” said Dr Jeff Brown, President of the ASMS and Dr Bev O’Keefe, Executive Chair of IPAC, today.