Judith Collins - National Party Health Spokeswoman

20 December 2004

Report shows Health Minister should have been fired

The Health and Independence Report released today shows that Health Minister Annette King should have been fired in today's Cabinet reshuffle, says National Party Health spokeswoman, Judith Collins.

"This year's Health and Independence Report lists a number of areas in which the current Government is failing ill New Zealanders.

"Annette King has mismanaged billions of health dollars over the past five years as minister.

"Labour's ballooning health budget is not delivering the relative
improvements it should be. As a result, New Zealanders are facing long waits for surgery. There is, in effect, a waiting list to even get on the waiting list, and A&E departments are struggling to cope."

The Health and Independence Report 2004 showed:

* Too many people have been unnecessarily hospitalised and that better health strategies could have avoided this.

* Treatment time for cancer has worsened.

* Government's PHOs are failing to deliver cheaper healthcare to all New Zealanders and there has been a breakdown in the relationship between primary health providers and hospitals.

* Hospitals have been slow to meet the orthopaedic national minimum targets.

* And there are problems with the efficiencies and volumes of elective services.

Ms Collins says five-and-a-half years of gross wastage in the health system are stopping people getting the operations they desperately need.

ENDS

© Scoop Media