District Health Boards—Management and Administration Staff

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

If the member wants figures, then let me give him figures. The increase in management and administration personnel was 1,362—that is less than 2,000, for the member’s information—medical personnel grew by a whopping 47 percent, or 2,188, and support staff actually declined by 199, or 8 percent. As I said at the start, the proportion of front-line personnel went up; back-office personnel went down. What is the member’s problem?

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

The latest report I have shows that under this Labour-led Government there are over 2,300 extra medical personnel and over 3,000 extra nursing personnel employed by district health boards than there were back in 2001. That is over 5,700 more front-line staff. Again, for the member’s help, the proportion of front-line staff has gone up and the proportion of management and administration staff has gone down. Unlike the National Party, we are proud of our policies. People do not have to wait for someone in Labour to leak to find out what those policies are.

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

Some people always see the glass as being half empty. The fact is that Capital and Coast District Health Board does have a difficult transition time at the moment. It has a new regional hospital that is all but finished, and it will be into it by the first half of next year. Of course, it is under stress, and it has had some historical problems. That is why this Government has put in a new chairman and Crown monitors, and why there is a turn-round in progress. When we have problems we front up to them, we fix them, and we move forward.

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

On any given day hundreds of thousands of services are provided to New Zealanders, the vast majority of which are of a high standard, but that one was not. The chairman of the West Coast District Health Board has publicly given his regrets for the way that woman was treated, and I would add that it does not meet my expectations, either.

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

Let me repeat the facts once more for members. The facts are there are 3,283 more nurses since 2001, there are 2,188 more doctors since 2001, and there is a higher proportion of front-line staff today than when the National Party was in office. What is wrong with that picture? Nothing. We have invested across the board. We are bringing better health services to Kiwis—hey, which is why it is on our top ten list, and not National’s.

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

The National Party just cannot help being slippery with figures, can it? The first half of the question talked about Waitakere Hospital, and the second half talked about the Waitemata District Health Board. As anyone who spent much time in the west would know, unlike the member, the two are not the same thing.

Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this

What I consider to be slippery is the fact that when the member has access to the exact same information that I do—I know because I have sent it to him in answer to a written parliamentary question—he quotes an increase in management and administration personnel, which is true, but omits the fact that the number of support staff has decreased, and he omits the fact that medical staff numbers and nursing staff numbers have increased by more, and that, as I understand it, the statistics are on the same basis throughout, which is consolidated numbers. The fact is that the National Party is just trotting out an alleged growth in bureaucracy for one simple reason. It is because Crosby/Textor has told National that it is a good key line for the campaign. The fact is that it bears no relationship to the truth. The truth is that the proportion has gone down. The member should admit that he is misleading the House, and get on with life.