12. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he have any concerns about the safety of provincial hospitals; if so, which ones?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
I always treat allegations about patient safety seriously. All complex systems are capable of improvement, but I am satisfied that our hospitals are among the safest in the world. However, for example, I am aware of allegations that have recently been made at the West Coast District Health Board. The district health board and, at my request, the Ministry of Health are investigating this as a matter of urgency.
Why has the health system so failed that a senior doctor at Grey Base Hospital was forced to advise her board that the hospital cannot guarantee patient safety as most systems have broken down, and that patient care is at times dangerous?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
While we take all complaints of this nature very seriously, the fact that a clinician has laid a complaint in a hospital does not amount to any sort of system failure.
Jill PettisHon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The Government has moved the health system from the previous Government’s obsession with the financial bottom line to one where quality and safety matter most. Since becoming Minister I have sent strong messages to the district health boards to this effect and introduced a mechanism whereby district health board funding is tied to quality performance. I have accelerated work on system safety through the regional collaboration in clinical networks across district health board boundaries, have strengthened the work of the quality improvement committee, and have facilitated an agreement with senior doctors that allows us to engage them in the quality and safety agenda.
Barbara StewartIs he aware that Palmerston North Hospital is facing financial problems because of strikes, staff shortages, and a sewerage leak, and is he concerned about the impact of these on patient safety at this provincial hospital; if not, why not?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I am aware that senior clinicians at Palmerston North Hospital have categorically rejected claims by the Resident Doctors Association that the hospital was in danger of closure around the time of the previous strike. I would add, however, that the situation of strikes in the health system is far from ideal, and any disruption to patient safety or scheduling is a matter of some concern. However, in the case of the junior doctors it would be of equal concern to see a settlement in the order of 40 percent, which would only set off a further round of wage claims across the sector.
What assurances can he give to the people of the West Coast when Dr Forbes says that waiting lists for operations have been taken off doctors and nurses and been given to the information technology department without any clinical supervision, resulting in patients being put on the waiting list for the wrong operation with the wrong anaesthetic, patients prepped for the wrong operation, and a man needing a knee replacement was booked for a dental procedure; how can that be safe care for the patients of the West Coast?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It is normally the member who has foot and mouth problems. But the assurance I can give West Coast constituents is that we are taking these claims seriously, and that an urgent review has been mounted. I suggest that the member opposite, rather than get hysterical, should wait for the outcome of that report.
Chris AuchinvoleWhat assurance is the Minister able to give the people of the West Coast now, that our hospital in Greymouth is in fact safe?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It is very nice to hear from that member. The assurances I can give him are that all the proper processes are in place to treat Dr Forbes’ allegations very seriously, that an urgent review is under way, that contact has already commenced between the chief medical adviser of the Ministry of Health, Dr Forbes, and the district health board, and that my chief medical adviser will very shortly be travelling to Greymouth to further that inquiry.
Does the Minister consider it satisfactory that hospitals need to constantly upgrade contingency plans in order to cope with possible strikes, including deferring non-urgent surgery and discharging patients early, and that under these circumstances patient safety will eventually be compromised in every hospital in New Zealand?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
As I said in response to the member’s previous question, any event, such as a strike, that disrupts patient scheduling or potentially impacts on safety is of significant concern. However, I am not aware of any particular safety crises that have arisen during the course of the last two strikes. I would reiterate, however, that of equal or greater concern would be a settlement in the order of 40 percent. That would set off a whole new round of claims throughout the sector, and I call upon both sides to take a long-term view of the good of the health system as they progress those negotiations.
Is it not an indictment of Labour that after its 8 years in office the West Coast health infrastructure is still being run down by bureaucrats who keep pushing doctors and nurses aside?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
No. This is a Government that has doubled public investment in the health system, including that on the West Coast. The member may have some aversion to “bureaucrats”, but I can assure him that both the managers and the clinicians in the health system give of their very best to ensure that patients are treated well, in the interests of all people’s health.