Health Restructuring Risks Increasing Bureaucracy

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ATTENTION: HEALTH REPORTER

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,
TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2009

“Health Restructuring Risks Increasing Bureaucracy And Paralysis”

“Health restructuring proposed by the Horn Report risks increasing bureaucracy, time wastage, and generating paralysis in decision-making,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today. Mr Powell was commenting specifically on the proposal to establish a new health powerful bureaucracy, the National Health Board, separate from the Ministry of Health.

"The Horn Report fails to adequately distinguish between functions and structures. The leadership functions recommended by the Horn Report are broadly commendable and supported. But it is not necessary to create another bureaucracy to achieve them. It would be much more effective to allow and empower the current Ministry of Health to do them. Furthermore, the proposed National Health Board would be less accountable than the Health Ministry. We want more accountability, not less.”

“The Horn Report significantly underestimates the impact its proposed health restructuring will have on the health sector. Most likely the preoccupation of the health system over the next year or two will be implementing and adapting the restructuring leading to paralysis in decision-making with no evidence that there will be improvements at the end of it.”

“The government should run with the good things in the Horn Report, including the national leadership functions, but not run with the major restructuring which would undermine their success” concluded Mr Powell.

ENDS

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