ASMS

All eligible Māori and Pacific job candidates are being automatically fast-tracked to the interview stage for openings at Auckland DHB. The change has been made to try to increase workforce diversity, and has already resulted in more Māori and Pacific candidates being interviewed and hired. The policy, which began in June, is likely to be adopted by the private sector, a human resources lecturer says. Jarrod Haar, Professor of human resources management at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), said the …

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A top health official with oversight of hospital redevelopments totalling hundreds of millions of dollars remains on leave four months after he became the subject of an internal investigation. Ministry of Health critical projects director Michael Hundleby was placed on paid leave around the start of June while a Ministry investigation, understood to focus on procurement, was carried out. It is understood the investigation is still under way, but it is not clear if he is still on full pay. Read more here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/107766668/top-ministry-of-health-official-remains-on-leave-as-restructure-claims-position?cid=app-iPhone

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“The decision to appoint a single chief executive to lead two Wellington region district health boards is a mistake,” says Angela Belich, Deputy Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). She was commenting on an announcement that a single chief executive would be recruited to run both the Capital & Coast DHB and Hutt Valley DHB (https://www.ccdhb.org.nz/news-publications/news-and-media-releases/2018-10-11-single-chief-executive-to-lead-capital-coast-and-hutt-valley-dhbs/). “The two DHBs have their own particular issues, population health needs and workforce pressures to deal with,” she says. …

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A doctor shortage in Golden Bay is the “canary in a coal mine” for rural communities facing similar problems, a general practitioner leader says. Nelson GP spokesperson Graham Loveridge said the state of healthcare in the small rural community of Golden Bay highlighted a worsening issue across the country as general practices struggled to recruit young GPs. The shortage in small towns was quickly growing as GPs retire, a trend predicted to accelerate over the next decade. Health authorities are …

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A different recruitment company to the one that was used to hire Dr Nigel Murray has been chosen to lead the search for a new chief executive at Waikato District Health Board. Murray resigned his role as CEO at the DHB last year after an investigation was launched into his irregular spending. A State Services Commission inquiry found Murray unjustifiably spent $120,608 on travel and accommodation expenses during his three years in the $560,000 a year job. In total he …

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The Southern District Health Board has restated its commitment to upgrading its beleaguered emergency department in the wake of the Ministry of Health urging it to improve waiting times. The SDHB has long recognised the issues at the ED, saying they are partly explained by issues with where other essential services are located within the building. Within the past 12 months it has tried to create more space for the department, and at a recent commissioner’s meeting a continuing drive …

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Health Minister Dr David Clark says Cabinet has agreed to grant a short extension of time for the independent Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction to report back to Government. David Clark said the Inquiry Panel Chair Ron Paterson asked for a one month extension to ensure proper consideration of the more than 5500 submissions received and the information gathered at 400 meetings and public forums. “This is a hugely important piece of work in a priority area for this …

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Women with intellectual disabilities are sharing bedroom corridors with “predatory” men as the Mason Clinic hits capacity – prompting a plea for help from health bosses. IHC New Zealand says the situation is incredibly concerning but not unique, as widespread underfunding puts the most vulnerable at risk. Waitemata DHB chief executive Dr Dale Bramley described a service nearing crisis point in correspondence to the Director General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield. “The situation is now severe and we request an …

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The government of Nauru has ordered that Médecins Sans Frontières – or Doctors Without Borders – stop working in the country, effective immediately. The charity has been providing medical services to residents, asylum seekers and refugees on the island since late 2017. Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman has labelled the move unthinkable. She talks to Susie Ferguson. Listen here: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018665836/nauru-ousting-doctors-without-borders-unthinkable-ghahraman

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Nelson woman Angela Holbrook still feels lucky to be alive 15 years after a delayed bowel cancer diagnosis. By the time she got a colonoscopy, 18 months after the first symptoms, doctors found a giant tumour blocking three quarters of her bowel. Holbrook, 67, is one of many New Zealanders to receive a late diagnosis of bowel cancer, according to a recent University of Otago study. Read more here: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/107659986/public-hospitals-failing-to-pick-up-bowel-cancer-early-leading-to-more-deaths

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