Otago DHB facing death by a 1,000 cuts

Monday 20 November 2006

"Otago DHB facing death by a 1,000 cuts; better leadership required"

"Senior doctors are very concerned that services provided by the Otago District Health Board is facing death by a 1,000 cuts," said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

"We recognise that the Otago DHB has been placed under considerable financial pressure by government. But the DHB's response is negative and has been to act as a hatchet person without regard to the serious risks. The DHB is trying to pass on these pressures to other health staff through threatening them with job losses."

"Their efforts threaten and undermine the future capacity of the DHB to provide health services which undermines the future of the Medical School which in turn threatens the university and ultimately Dunedin City itself."

"The Otago DHB should stop behaving like a defeatist government lackey. Instead it should strongly and openly advocate what funding is required for it to continue to provide accessible and high quality services to the public of Otago."

"Much better leadership is needed rather than performing like a directionless chook trying to find someone to decapitate it so that it can become completely headless," concluded Mr Powell.

ENDS

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