Government To Screw Health Next

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, September 15th, 2010 - 17 comments
Categories: education, health, wages - Tags:

The government announced yesterday that they’d poached the head of Scotland’s health service to head ours.  And their choice of someone who said that he could provide health services with “significantly fewer” doctors and nurses, and followed through on that, sacking 1500 nurses last year, says everything about their intended direction.

The education sector is in disarray with teacher strikes over pay and conditions (not to mention the disastrous National™ Standards), and the possibility that even if they go back to the negotiation table the Ministry of Education negotiating staff might be too busy striking to allow a deal.

But the government is not content with that level of disorder, so it’s inflaming health as well.

Radiology Services and Medical Laboratory staff are already into rolling strikes and now junior doctors look set to join them.  So the introduction of someone who sees working our health professionals harder as an option isn’t going to help.  Junior doctors already normally do 60 hour weeks, and nurses no longer get the time with patients that really aids their recovery.

Doctors’ wages, like teachers’, are behind most other western countries.  But it appears that John ‘I’d like to see wages drop’ Key is just as keen to work his magic on professionals as well as factory workers.  Now that truly is ‘aspirational’ for Key’s government.

[Once again John – if the ‘fundamental purpose’ of your government is to close the wage gap with Australia, raising wages is a good place to start.]

17 comments on “Government To Screw Health Next ”

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  1. Craig Glen Eden 1
    15 September 2010 at 12:34 pm

    Thee Nats always attack Teachers and Nurses when will they learn and when will Teachers and Nurses realise that the Nats are not interested in health or education its just a cost to them.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      15 September 2010 at 2:51 pm

      According to the NACTs everything is a cost to them and one which they shouldn’t have to pay even though they the greatest benefit.

  2. Mr Magoo 2
    15 September 2010 at 12:36 pm

    I believe the main feature here is that the new right wing heartless shill they are employing from Scotland was not in touch enough to realize that coming out and saying he effectively intends to cut dr numbers was not going to be well received.

    He will make a great addition to the next election…for the opposition.

  3. Bed Rater 3
    15 September 2010 at 12:59 pm

    Its probably worth noting that he hasn’t “come out and said” anything about cutting NZ services yet. His comments were from previous questions from a Scottish committee on his actions in Scotland, that were then dumped into the headline.

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      15 September 2010 at 1:15 pm

      Yes, this needs to be kept in mind, however it’s much more fun to simply ignore reality and play make believe that the new guy is going to be some evil staff-slashing monster.

      • mickysavage 3.1.1
        15 September 2010 at 2:21 pm

        Um

        The current well respected head of health stands down and we go all the way to Scotland to get a replacement.

        And he just happens to have a reputation as a slasher of jobs.

        And we have a Government who is intent in reducing expenses to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by the driving down of work conditions and the shedding of jobs.

        Quite a reasonable conclusion to draw don’t you think?

      • Armchair Critic 3.1.2
        15 September 2010 at 3:07 pm

        One of the best tools for predicting someone’s future behaviour is an understanding of their previous behaviour. If the person in question had a history of and reputation for improving health services without cutting staffing I’d have many fewer concerns about his appointment.

  4. Jim Nald 4
    15 September 2010 at 1:07 pm

    Yet another push factor to drive out NZ citizens and health workers from this country.

    • Loota 4.1
      15 September 2010 at 8:58 pm

      Well actually to drive health workers into the private sector and health consumers into the arms of private insurance and private hospitals.

      You have to give the NACTs some credit, Jim.

  5. tc 5
    15 September 2010 at 1:33 pm

    Ryall’s been screwing Health from day 1 however unlike Trolley for example the boy’s got game and is rather more clever at going about it by actually having some grasp of how it works in contrast to trolley who’s just a barking loon really.

    The irony is I know of health pro’s (recent kiwi’s since 2000) who voted nat (thanks to the msm and the nat’s slick campaign 08) and are now seeing first hand the con job in action at the frontline.

    It seems there’s alot of these recent kiwis who fell for the con as they lacked a few fundamental decision making tools…….history and a knowledge of true nat ideology a la the last 2 nat gov’ts.

  6. Ron 6
    15 September 2010 at 3:03 pm

    I wouldn’t be entrusting my health to a Doctor who voted Tory – because they’d have to be an IDIOT

  7. tc 7
    15 September 2010 at 4:30 pm

    Ah Ron don’t confuse a quality medical professional for a well informed one, they’re doctors first and tend to live in an insular world of their own profession….bless em.

  8. statisticallydeviant 8
    15 September 2010 at 7:42 pm

    So a new Director-General of Health who has 20 years senior management expertise in health policy & delivery plus experience in academic health policy (http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?docid=7845)

    appointed as per the standard legislated process (http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1988/0020/latest/DLM129110.html)

    by the State Service Commissioner appointed by the last government on the grounds that he had shown through his public service career the right attributes of integrity, wisdom, consistency, and courage to fulfill his new responsibilities
    (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10506785)

    is somehow turned into a smear campaign even before the new DG has made a single decision in the new zealand health system?

    • lprent 8.1
      15 September 2010 at 7:53 pm

      I thought that the post was on the new DG’s previous record. Why don’t you want to look at how he screwed up the previous post. Seems relevant to me when out into the context of a similar position here?

      You’d have to be a pedantic spinner to not see the connection. I guess you probably are.

      Btw: When it says a comment has gone into moderation there is no point reposting. You do seem to have a bit of reading issue.

      • Bob Stanforth 8.1.1
        15 September 2010 at 8:57 pm

        At the risk of a bus ticket slap, he implemented policy, he did not make the decisions himself. But then I know you know that. He oversaw policy deployment, as part of the independent public sector, and is highly respected by those who know.

        And having worked in the sector, Ryall is much higher up the general esteem ladder than the previous “talk down to the plebeian masses” minister. Trust me, been there, got the t-shirt. The last one left our meeting at C&CDHB with shaking heads at how rude a MotC could be to wage earners.

        Why would you want a wet twit as DG? You want someone who has the mileage and the grey hair, who has been there. And this one has.

  9. statisticallydeviant 9
    15 September 2010 at 8:25 pm

    I didn’t repost. I posted on two SEPARATE threads.

    Where is the evidence he “screwed up his previous post”? Or are you referring to an ideological position that you can only provide the same level of service with the same or greater level of the same workforce?

    And no the post wasn’t simply on his previous record. It was a political smear attempting to paint Kevin Woods as a hatchet man appointed by the Government for a specific reason without reference to due process or the person that advised Government on the merits of appointing him.

    A more balanced appraisal http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/4129084/New-health-boss-praised-by-Scottish-nurses

    I like the quote: Theresa Fyffe, Director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland says Dr Woods “leaves the NHS in Scotland in a better place than it was when he arrived”.

    That at least is anecdotal evidence of his performance from errr the horse’s mouth.

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