Hon Tony Ryall National Party Health Spokesman

3 March 2006

Emergency departments need more investment

The Health and Disability Commissioners 'grave concern' about hospital emergency departments should be a wake-up call to Health Minister Pete Hodgson, says National's Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.

In Parliament yesterday, Mr Hodgson claimed that when it came to emergency department services 'New Zealand rates number one out of five... we are the best of five nations'.

"Mr Hodgson is being deluded by his own verbosity yet again," says Mr Ryall.

"The latest Hospital Benchmark Report shows that not one of our country's major emergency departments meets the Government's service standards.

"The situation is so bad that the Government is planning to change the rules to make the figures look better.

"Mr Hodgson could relieve pressure on over-worked emergency departments and staff by fixing the after-hours GP care crisis around the country," says Mr Ryall.

ENDS

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