ASMS

A range of recent official and anecdotal reports have highlighted workplace culture issues at various Southern District Health Board sites. Health reporter Mike Houlahan asks if one of the region’s largest employers is one of the worst places to work. This week Otago Daily Times readers learned of claims junior doctors had been “broken” by bullying, favouritism and humiliation during their time in Dunedin Hospital’s gastroenterology department. Read more here: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/workplace-culture-sdhb-under-microscope The ODT followed up the article after hearing reader feedback …

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Southland Hospital general surgeons have called on the Southern District Health Board to immediately implement the recommendations of its own external review for bowel cancer treatment. The six surgeons have written an open letter saying it is disheartening the DHB is still requesting they apply criteria to colonoscopy access, even after the patient has been seen by a gastrointestinal specialist surgeon. Last month a damning external audit was released, saying the DHB had serious problems controlling bowel cancer and there were lengthy delays for …

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The arrest of four Turkish health professionals for providing medical care to a wounded child in Turkey during a curfew has been deplored by the World Medical Association (WMA) and the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME). The four health staff – a physician Dr. Nesim Sayın and three nurses – were detained and arrested by Turkish authorities earlier this month following a police raid on their homes. According to information from their lawyers, they provided care to a 12-year-old …

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A research paper conducted by the University of Otago that was published today has shown a strong link between damp, mouldy housing and hospital admissions for young children with respiratory infections. “This research confirms the extra burden placed on too many families trying to keep their children safe. Poor housing standards that harm children are totally unacceptable”, said Green Party housing spokesperson Marama Davidson. “We need to see more urgent progress on enforcing the Government’s healthy homes standards. Housing New …

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Auckland’s measles outbreak is showing no sign of slowing down, with 27 new cases confirmed in the space of one day. As of Tuesday, there have been 410 cases of the highly infectious illness in the region so far this year, jumping from 383 on Monday. Auckland Regional Public Health Service saw the largest week-on-week increase last week, with 58 new cases. It comes as the latest surveillance report from ESR shows there have been 516 confirmed measles cases across New Zealand this year. The total number …

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Chris Fleming, the head of Southern DHB says there’s no need for a public inquiry into its treatment of bowel cancer patients, and major failings are being addressed. It’s in response to criticisms levelled by Phil Bagshaw, one of two clinicians tasked with auditing the DHB’s colonoscopy and bowel cancer service, who said more needed to be done to address their recommendations. Listen here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018708454/no-public-inquiry-needed-southern-dhb-boss

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Both sides are claiming victory in the long-running industrial dispute between junior doctors and district health boards. They have agreed to a new employment agreement and it’s been ratified by the doctors’ union, the Resident Doctors Association. The new two-year deal ends a standoff that sparked 13 days of strikes at almost all public hospitals this year. RNZ health correspondent Karen Brown discusses what it means moving forward: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018708433/deal-between-junior-doctors-dhbs-ends-two-year-stand-off The Resident Doctors Association talks to Checkpoint: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018708358/row-between-junior-doctors-and-dhbs-appears-to-be-over

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The Royal Society Te Apārangi has today published a paper on the legal and regulatory implications of gene editing. The expert panel set up by Royal Society Te Apārangi to consider the implications of new gene-technologies in healthcare, pest control and the primary industries, has concluded there is a need to move on from a black and white view of “GM or not GM” to a more nuanced view that recognises a wide range of applications of the technology, some …

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The head of the senior doctors’ union has commended hospital specialists at Canterbury District Health Board for drawing attention to significant problems with Christchurch Hospital’s planning process. “It’s another example of hospital specialists speaking out about their serious concerns regarding the impact on hospital facilities of the effects of sustained and continued periods of under-funding,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on reports that heads of department and other hospital …

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“Reports of yet another full public hospital struggling to cope with the winter influx of patients is more evidence of a public health system under extreme pressure,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on reports that more than 300 people had turned up to Waikato Hospital’s emergency department over a 24-hour period (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/114811941/waikato-hospital-at-full-capacity-no-beds-available). Other hospitals also feeling the pressure over winter have included Tauranga and Whakatane (https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/113836057/eds-under-pressure-patient-numbers-up-in-the-waikato-and-bay-of-plenty) along …

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