6. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Who is accountable for the performance of the Capital and Coast District Health Board?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
Under the Crown Entities Act 2004 and the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, performance is the responsibility of the board itself. The board in turn is accountable to the Minister.
Does the Minister realise how pathetic it sounds to blame everyone else for the calamities at Wellington Hospital, when he and his predecessor Labour Ministers have appointed the chairman, the deputy chairman, and the four board members, and have had countless reports on how bad things are at Wellington Hospital, and when it takes the death of a baby before this Government will do anything to fix the crisis at Wellington Hospital, after 8 long years?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
By informing the public and the House of my concerns, and by the fact that I am preparing to intervene at the Capital and Coast District Health Board, it is quite clear that I take my responsibilities seriously.
Lesley SoperIs the Minister satisfied with the performance of the current Capital and Coast District Health Board?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
No. As members may be aware, the chief executive resigned today, with immediate effect. As I indicated in a media release yesterday, the performance of the board raises a question as to what action now needs to be taken by me. I am considering a full range of options. An announcement will be made shortly. However, in doing this I pay tribute to the hard-working and competent staff of the Capital and Coast District Health Board who are continuing to do their best for the people of Wellington in difficult circumstances.
Barbara StewartDoes the Minister consider that making an example of one district health board will do anything to solve the operational problems throughout the health system caused by staff shortages; if so, why?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member makes a good point. There are cross-cutting issues throughout the system, and they need to be dealt with at a system-wide level. This particular district health board’s issues are being dealt with in a way appropriate to the circumstances of this district health board.
Sue KedgleyWhy should the Dominion Post—or any other individual or organisation, for that matter—have to do battle for more than 2 years just to work out how many serious or fatal mishaps are occurring in the Capital and Coast District Health Board, and will he, under his watch, finally lift the veil of secrecy surrounding hospital mishaps and implement the repeated recommendations of the Health Committee that all district health boards be required to report publicly and transparently each year on the medical mishaps occurring in their hospitals?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
In fact, many of the 23 cases reported today have already been widely publicised. Although there does needs to be transparency, we also need to make sure that people will not hide their mistakes because of fear of media attention. That is why we have organisations and processes, such as the Health and Disability Commissioner, that report on events but leave out the names of people and organisations where appropriate.
Hon Peter DunneWill the Minister acknowledge that there have been problems within the Capital and Coast District Health Board, its predecessor, the Wellington Area Health Board, and its predecessor, the Wellington Hospital Board, for at least two decades, and that the problem is not one that will be resolved by rearranging the furniture, but, rather, a much more fundamental change, such as the immediate appointment of a commissioner to sort out Wellington Hospital’s problems, is what is required?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
As I confirmed publicly yesterday, I am taking advice on a wide range of options. As I repeated today, I have not made a decision yet on any of them. The member has a point; deep-rooted, systemic issues need a systemic fix.
Heather RoyHow many more people have to die at Wellington’s killer hospital before the board, with its head stuck in the sand, will be sacked?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I imagine that ACT’s Wellington Central candidate to be is not expecting many votes from nurses or doctors in the region.
Rodney HideI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The Minister in his answer may comment on what he likes—it does not bother us—but he is required to address a question. There was a question. There was no attempt to address it. ACT gets one question a day. I think the Minister could do us the courtesy of answering it.
Madam SPEAKERHon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I thank the member for the opportunity to clarify my answer. The essence of my response was as follows. In finding a way forward for the people of Wellington, it is not sufficient to simply run down the hard-working and dedicated medical and support staff at this district health board. There are systems issues that will be resolved. In the meantime, I suggest that all members of this House try their best to support the people who are trying to do good in our community.
How does his earlier answer that the Capital and Coast District Health Board is to blame for everything fit with his predecessor’s undertaking that the buck stops with her, and with his statement that he is “running this show” now, when this is a Government that is happy to take the credit for any extra spending but when services fall over and people die it blames everybody else?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member may attempt to become the sand in this oyster, but I am afraid the grain is too small.
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It is not quite clear how much clarity members opposite would like, but I am happy to say that I take extremely seriously my responsibilities under the two Acts that I have referred to today, and members should judge me by the actions of the coming week.
Is not the action that this House is going to judge this Minister on the silly answer that he gave previously, when the hospital in this country’s capital is under crisis? We have had report after report about people dying, babies have died, and this lot opposite appointed the board that has overseen the collapse of the hospital. He just gives some smart alec comment in the House, when the hospital down the road is about to tip over.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Where in that series of words is the question?
Yes, the member is correct, actually. I myself was struggling to find it. Would the member like to clarify what his question is as opposed to the statement he made?
When will the Minister demonstrate to the people of Wellington that he actually takes their concerns seriously?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The Minister has not stopped taking seriously the concerns of the people of Wellington, and every action that I take over the coming week will reflect that.
Does the Government take any responsibility for the fact that it has appointed, over successive years in office, the chairman of the Capital and Coast District Health Board, the deputy chairman of the Capital and Coast District Health Board, and four of the board members of the Capital and Coast District Health Board, and for the fact that a number of the board members of the Capital and Coast District Health Board are on the Labour Party ticket, yet this Minister says this Government has no responsibility for the fact that the hospital in this country’s capital is in crisis?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member just refuses to listen. I have already informed the member of the appropriate responsibilities of the board, and of mine in its appointment.
Any further supplementary questions? The member should call. Does the member want a supplementary question? I cannot hear over the noise; the member should call.
Katrina ShanksDoes the Minister think the people of Wellington were misled by the previous board at the last election when it suppressed the damning quality report that warned that services were substandard, and suppressed the shocking dossier of endless mismanagement at Wellington Hospital; why was the board not honest with the people of Wellington?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member uses presumptions in her question that probably do not bear scrutiny. In the first place, the sentinel report was provided to the Ministry of Health, which has been working on it. Many of the matters raised have been worked on by the Health and Disability Commissioner, and were previously in the public domain.