Waikato DHB Bosses Freeze Senior Doctor Positions

“Waikato DHB Bosses Freeze Senior Doctor Positions Despite Serious Shortages”

“Waikato District Health Board bosses have in effect frozen senior doctor and other clinical appointments despite the serious senior doctor shortage,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today. Mr Powell was referring to the decision of the Waikato DHB to extend the cap required by government on administration and management staff to all clinical staff (refer to attachment).

“This is a unilateral dictatorial decision imposed by Waikato health bosses without consultation over the clinical and other risks with senior doctors and other health professionals, and their representative organisations. It completely undermines the objective of the Minister of Health to promote greater clinician engagement and leadership in DHBs. The Minister and senior doctors are going one way while Waikato health bosses are going the other.”

“This de facto freeze is occurring at a time of senior doctor shortages. A survey of Waikato clinical leaders undertaken by us in August 2008 revealed senior doctor shortages of 12.6%. Based on more limited data the recent report of the Senior Medical Officers Commission reported a minimum senior doctor vacancy rate of 9.8% as of September 2008 (just above the national average of 9.5%).”

“The DHB already had robust processes for assessing whether they have had senior doctor vacancies. Now its managerial mandarins have imposed greater bureaucratic obstacles to filling essential clinical positions. They will increase the workloads and work pressures on already overstretched senior doctors thereby placing at greater risk standards of care for patients and increasing the risk of senior doctor burn-out.”

“Earlier this year the government released and endorsed a report called ‘In Good Hands’ which required DHBs to ensure that quality should be at the centre of their decision-making. Unfortunately Waikato’s health bosses have put quality on the periphery. This is a case of ‘In Bad Hands’” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ENDS

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