Something rotten in the state of health

Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 5th, 2010 - 14 comments
Categories: health - Tags:

Losing one District Health Board Chief Executive, Ken Whelan, who resigned because he refused to cut any more services looks bad. Losing three of the health systems’ top 22 managers in three months – Whelan, Director General of Health Stephen McKernan, and Auckland DHB CEO Pat Snedden – looks like a purge.

Update: Otago DHB CEO Errol Millar has also got the chop. The purge is gathering pace.

14 comments on “Something rotten in the state of health ”

  1. Peter Martin 1

    ooh…and if they aren’t jumping, they are being pushed.
    http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/otago/134919/board-head-go-ryall
    I hope the catalyst wasn’t ‘”we still keep coming home with this solid $15 million deficit”. ‘

  2. Draco T Bastard 2

    It’s National in charge – they’ll find some one to screw it up in their efforts to privatise it.

  3. ianmac 3

    I remember the 90s when Hospital had a part user-pays. “Excuse me Sir. You have a bill to pay. Now or use a credit card?” Must have cost heaps to administer. As privatisation approaches we welcome the American way. Perhaps not. Hope not.

    • Vicky32 3.1

      Oh yes, I remember those ridiculous days… My son (5 at the time) had grommets put in. Outpatient, so therefore chargeable…
      Ridiculous!

  4. Alwyn 4

    Could we at least have a little accuracy in the posting.
    Pat Snedden is not the CEO of the DHB. He is a ministerialy appointed chairman.
    The CEO, who I do not believe the Minister has any control over, is a Mr (Dr?) Garry Smith.
    Snedden was appointed by the last Labour Minister of Health. He no doubt replaced some other person who the Minister chose not to reappoint.
    Incidentally in the only interview I have heard with Pat Snedden he was quite complimentary about the way Ryall has been running the Health sector.

    • Bright Red 4.1

      four senior people gone in three months, that’s the issue – job title pedanticness is not.

      • The Baron 4.1.1

        Making a great big partisan hoohah out of these departures, that’s the issue – having any sense for facts or reality is not.

        Seriously guys, get a grip. You have any evidence to suggest that this just isn’t a spike in otherwise natural attrition?

        • Bright Red 4.1.1.1

          If the DHB board heads and director of health changing at the rate of four every three months was normal, than the average tenure of the 21 chairs and the director would be 16.5 months.

          Millar was in his job 8 years.
          Stephen McKernan was in his for 4.
          Ken Whelan was in his two and a half years.
          Can’t find Snedden but obviously over 2 years as he was a Labour appointee.

          Doesn’t look like rotation is normally this rapid. Looks like a purge.

  5. tc 5

    Can’t say I’m too bothered as personally if Ryall can consolidate back office services and remove duplicated costs from DHB’s by having central purchasing/finance/payroll etc then he’s done the obvious thing that Helen’s 2 mates did jack all about (King/Hodgson).

    There’s enough savings in that move to enhance front line services……but with Ryall who knows what the F he’s up to as the minister of stealth.

    Cunliffe would’ve sorted it but wasn’t high enough on clarks inner circle after having to prove himself by straigtening out gatungville’s telco mess and had no time left.

  6. Bob Stanforth 6

    Ask people who work in the hospitals what they think of the current Minister, particularly as compared to the last one. Therein lies the truth methinks…

    The difference between a snotty tosser who spoke down to everyone from nurses to doctors, to someone who gets around and talks to as many as he can and actually listens and acts.

    You pick which one is which. LMAO.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1

      Ask people who work in the hospitals what they think of the current Minister, particularly as compared to the last one.

      I have.

      Under the last Government managers and staff were pissed off about allocation of budgets and insufficient funding of new treatments and new equipment. But they found that they always had an open door to the Minister.

      Under this Goverment people are all afraid for their jobs and worried about Beehive political interference in MoH and Health Board activities.

      Is that an improvement, BS?

      “LMAO”

  7. Bob Stanforth 7

    My wife is a nurse. My sister as well. And my Mother in Law. Different hospitals around the country – NP Base, Middlemore, North Shore.

    None of them are worried about jobs, not even, they cant find enough nurses FFS, all of them have overtime out the wazzoo. It doesn’t even register, same with the other front line ops staff.

    The last minister was considered an arrogant wanker by every single person I spoke to, and I worked across around 10 DHB’s as a consultant. And as for political interference? Oh my, what was that Board who was sacked again???

    Tell ’em he’s dreaming son, cos he is. But do keep trying, its fun to watch the flailing about 🙂

    • Vicky32 7.1

      My son is a nurse in 62 South (Cardiothoracic) in Wellington Hospital, and his experience is completely different from that of your wife and mother in law.
      New grads he knows can’t find jobs, even though the wards are under-staffed. He has overtime up the wazoo, but being a generation younger than your wife and 2 generations younger than your mother in law, he is fed up with it. (He’s 23 years old and he wants a life!)
      As for ‘can’t find enough nurses’ what tripe! Do your rellies work for private hospitals by any chance? Your are a politically motivated ignorant twit, BS and your word should not be taken seriously.
      Deb

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