6. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What effect is the radiographers’ strike having on elective surgery and emergency departments of public hospitals, and how many patients will be affected by this industrial action?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
As a result of thorough planning by district health boards affected, the impact of the strike has thus far been mitigated significantly. Regardless, the impact on patients will be substantial. It is something I hope both parties will remember when they finally resume talks.
What did the Minister mean when he told the media today that this is not a big strike—involving only 200 or 300 people out of a workforce of 70,000—when this strike has brought 14 public hospitals to their knees, with thousands of patients being turned away, and why does he not measure the strike by the number of patients affected instead of the number of people causing the chaos?
If the member had been attending to all of the press conference he refers to, he would have seen that I did.
Maryan StreetWhat protections are in place to ensure that patients needing very urgent attention can be cared for in the event of a strike?
Under reforms introduced by the Labour-led Government, both district health boards and unions are required by law to provide life-preserving services in the event of a strike. They have been arranged for the current strike, and I can advise the House that to the best of my knowledge these services have so far been called on four times today. I thank all health professionals working in our public hospitals. The next 2½ days will be difficult and the Government appreciates the efforts of all involved.
Given that the Minister told the striking radiographers and the district health board that he wishes them “every good luck” to resolve the strike, what would he say to the thousands of patients affected by the strike, some with cancer and other life-threatening conditions, and would he wish them every good luck?
I repeat the remarks I made earlier, that under reforms introduced by the Labour-led Government, both district health boards and unions are required by law to provide life-preserving services in the event of a strike. So far today, to the best of my knowledge, there have been four such incidents—I think all of them were in Canterbury—and no doubt others will occur as the week goes by. So far those life-preserving services have been provided without difficulty.
What action, besides wishing the strike parties “every good luck”, is the Minister taking to get these 14 hospitals working again, and does he think that taxpayers are paying him $1,000 a day as Minister of Health to sit on his hands and rely on the goddess of chance to fix this crisis?
Let me introduce the member to a fact that he is clearly unaware of, which is that I am neither the employer nor the employee.
When, in order to fit the thousands of patients affected by the strike back into the system, other patients will be pushed over the 6-month waiting list cut-off, does the Government not realise that Minister Hodgson’s inaction will worsen the waiting list cull, which is up to 27,000 patients already?
Will the Minister confirm that yesterday he issued a call for the strike parties to return to the negotiating table—and they did not; and does he not realise that across provincial New Zealand, thousands of patients face disruption and suffering from his neglect and faith in the goddess of chance?
Yes, I am aware that people who are already sick are having their lives further disrupted by the strike action, and I say to both parties that I urge them to take that into account when they next meet.
Jo GoodhewWhat would the Minister say to Michael Gordon of Timaru, who has had his urgently needed surgery to remove malignant brain tumours delayed because of the strike; would he say “every good luck” to that man?