ASMS

“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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The senior doctors’ union has asked the Minister for Economic Development, David Parker, to reverse his Ministry’s decision to remove pathology from the Government’s list of essential skills in short supply. “Removing pathology from this list is a mistake and just piles more pressure onto a workforce already under stress,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “It’s also likely to affect a wide range of other health services which depend on an effective …

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The senior doctors’ union has welcomed the Government’s recognition of the importance of universal public health services and the need for further improvements. “Our public hospitals and other publicly-funded health services are as essential today as they were 80 years ago when the 1938 Social Security Act came into being,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on Health Minister David Clark’s acknowledgement of 80 years of public health services (

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“The Government needs to listen closely to the small group of highly trained clinical experts working in the country’s national forensic pathology service, who are warning of unintended consequences in years to come if the service is dismantled,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on an interview this morning with forensic pathologist Dr Paul Morrow about planned changes to the national forensic pathology service: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018659186/crisis-looms-in-nz-forensic-pathology-service. Forensic pathologists have warned …

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The national forensic pathology service in this country is on the brink of collapse – and Justice Minister Andrew Little is refusing to intervene despite the advice of clinical experts, says the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “The seriousness of the current situation cannot be over-stated,” says ASMS Executive Director Ian Powell. “If these services fall over, we will be left with a gaping hole in our ability to determine the cause of death in situations that are unclear …

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“Senior doctors welcome today’s news of a pay deal reached with nurses and congratulate this group of health professionals on their perseverance and determination,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on today’s announcement by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation that the collective employment agreement for nurses, midwives and health care assistants had been settled after nearly a year of negotiations (https://www.nzno.org.nz/about_us/media_releases/articletype/articleview/articleid/2826/dhb-meca-ratified-by-members). The pay deal has been welcomed by Prime …

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“Legislated health targets would be a clunky, heavy-handed way to monitor public hospitals and could end up putting patients at risk,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “If they were made a legal requirement, then governments would need to ensure a requirement to adequately fund our public health services was also enshrined in law. You can’t have one without the other.” He was commenting on reports that National wants to make health targets …

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“ACC’s medical advisors have called off planned strikes as significant progress has been made on two issues greatly concerning them,” says Lloyd Woods, a Senior Industrial Officer with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). ASMS represents most of the medical advisors employed by ACC, who provide specialised medical advice on claims. They have been striking over a stalemate in their negotiations for improvements to pay and conditions under their collective employment agreement. The next four-hour strike was planned for …

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“Health Minister David Clark is to be commended for brokering an accord on safe nurse staffing levels in public hospitals,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “This is a very welcome initiative from a Minister who clearly wants to make a real difference for patients and health professionals.” Mr Powell was commenting on the Health Minister’s announcement that an accord had been reached between district health boards, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and …

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An address by Ian Powell, ASMS Executive Director, to the Hospital and Community Dentistry Conference, Queenstown, 28 July 2018. Address to Hospital and Community Dentistry Conference 28 July 2018

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