6. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
When did the Ministry of Health first become aware of the findings of the audit of Capital and Coast District Health Board discussed in the House yesterday, and what external action, if any, was subsequently taken by the Minister “running this show” at the time?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
I am advised that the certification process for district health boards is an independent, statutory quality assurance process undertaken by the Director-General of Health.
When did the Ministry of Health first become aware of the findings of the audit of the Capital and Coast District Health Board, and what action was taken by the Minister in charge at the time?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I am advised that the Ministry of Health received the final Telarc report on or about 27 September 2007.
Charles ChauvelWhat other steps has the Ministry of Health taken in respect of the Capital and Coast District Health Board?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Separately from the certification process, the Ministry of Health, I am advised, has elevated the level of its supervision of the board to intensive monitoring. A number of serious issues have been identified, which the ministry is working through with the board.
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Certification facilitates regular checking of quality standards and processes. It provides an opportunity for external auditors to identify issues and for district health boards to take action.
What is so different that the Minister would threaten to sack the Capital and Coast District Health Board, when the Government had known about this damning report of failure and neglect at Wellington Hospital for at least 2 months?
Can the Minister explain the contradiction in his comments in the House yesterday when he said he was running the show now but also said in one answer that primary accountability rests with the district health board and that it would be inappropriate for him to reach over that layer of governance?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The latter comment refers to the statutory governance protocols and the relationship between the Minister and the ministry. The former comment relates to the difference between the Government and the Opposition.
Now that the Minister is running the show, how long will it take to fix the failures at Wellington Hospital?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
No doubt the board and the management are working very closely with clinicians to address the issues that have been raised by the ministry.
Katrina ShanksWas not this Minister playing amateur dramatics yesterday when he threatened to sack a board that he knows is going out of existence in 3 weeks, and how tough is that?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
As I explained to the House yesterday, a wide range of options is available to the Minister.
Does the Minister stand by his comment in the House yesterday that he was expecting immediate and comprehensive action on the issues raised at Wellington Hospital, and is he aware that this corrective action plan, approved by the board in October, suggests that it will take 12 months to deal with most of the failures addressed in that report?