7 November 2011

Call for "open & accountable" DHBs

With the election imminent the Democrats for Social Credit are calling for the contesting parties to state where they stand on the matter of the functioning of District Health Boards, according to DSC health spokesman David Tranter.

"The present system has long been a bone of contention especially in areas like the West Coast where no Coast resident has ever been board chairman and the last chairman, Christchurch-based Rex Williams, admitted on taking up the post that he knew nothing whatsoever about the health sector - and then departed after one term. That sort of process is patently ridiculous and should specifically barred from recurring" Mr. Tranter said.

"In contrast to the present system with four government-appointed members out of eleven, DSC propose nine-member boards, five publicly elected using STV and with candidates being permanent residents of the board district. The other four members would comprise one appointed by the Department of Health, one by the medical professional health staff, one by surgical staff and one by nursing staff.

"This would remove boards from undue political control and would also ensure that appropriate local expert health knowledge would prevent the sort of disastrous events as occurred on the West Coast where highly experienced and dedicated health professionals have been ousted by a combination of incompetent management and outside-based board chairmen who lacked the necessary understanding of the ethics and dedication of career health professionals" Mr. Tranter said.

"DSC contacts around New Zealand confirm that the public dissatisfaction felt on the West Coast about their DHB board's functioning is widespread.

"Further changes under DSC include that the elected members would elect a chair and deputy-chair from amongst themselves and that there would be no restrictions on board members approaching either professional staff or the general public to discuss issues concerning efficient functioning of the board. Further, board members would be encouraged to report back to their constituents at intervals of no more than six months.

"No doubt there will be cries of anguish from political parties and other vested interests at the opening up of DHB board processes but it was Annette King as health minister in 2001 who claimed the new boards would be "open and accountable". That simply hasn't happened and after a decade of failing to live up to this claim it is time to have boards giving true representation of the concerns of the communities they should be representing" Mr. Tranter concluded.

ENDS

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