After reportedly failing to convince 19 people who were shoulder tapped for the job, there is now a new Director-General of Health. He is the former head of the Scottish health service, Dr Kevin Woods.
I dont know much about Dr Woods yet, but first impressions are not great. According to the Dom Post he oversaw the axing of 1500 nursing positions during his tenure in Scotland. The article goes on to say
At the time, he was asked by a Government committee whether it was possible to still provide quality health services with “significantly fewer” doctors and nurses. “Yes, we believe we can,” Dr Woods said.
Oh dear. A transfer of Dr Woods idea to New Zealand would have disastrous consequences. The notion that our already very busy (and capable I might add) medical professionals could cope with staff reductions is horrific.
The word in Wellington is that the previous CE, Stephen McKernan left because he could not work with Tony Ryall and Murray Horn at the National Health Board as they shut him out while pursuing their agenda of cuts. It seems possible that they may have now found a willing accomplice.
Don’t get sick whilst this guy is in charge- he has just finished overseeing the sacking of 1500 nurses in Scotland.
What a mongrel!
Operation Cuts, Slash and Burn
Nats pick up from stalled Ruthanasia
Will Dr Woods make NZ his permanent home henceforth?
So are you saying that the National Government has successfully politicised the SSC?
Do you have any hard evidence for this or just your own personal opinion?
@ Gosman, hard evidence? The Tory CT play book from 2007/8 shows that such quaint notions are irrelevant. Or have the rules changed now they are in charge?
Didnt the CEO of Kapiti Coast Health resign because he couldnt cut any more without impacting (negatively, delivery of services)? Next we’ll start hearing about how we need to privatise hospitals to make them efficient.
Isnt the EQC based on payments made as part of our insurance premiums? I dont get how, if that is right, together with insurance that the govt faces a 4m bill?
Are doctors and nurses on the front line?
That’s the question Labour MPs need to ask in Parliament. Again and again. Short and sharp. Cut the sub-clauses. One question. Rinse and repeat.
Are doctors and nurses on the front line?
@ Jennifer
No hard evidence then. This is just the biased political opinion of an opposition MP then.
More front line problems ahead
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10673253
Is Dr Kevin Woods some sort of witch doctor. Sound like he will use a bit for voodoo magic. I doubt he will be able to pull this stunt off thou…
What worries me most about Woods is his apparently unwavering support and promotion of PPPs in the provision of public health services:
In May 2008 the Scottish Government confirmed that NHSGG&C (the Board) should change its method of
procurement for the NSGH project from a Public Private Partnership (PPP) route to Treasury Finance.
For some reason, there are still people who believe that private business can borrow money at a cheaper rate than government . . .
Grant Robertson the demoniser of public servants.
Character asassination of a government worker totally out of context.
Shame on you. Next Labour will be claiming that you cannot work in a ministry if you have a boyfriend who is a National voter. OOps . Already guilty.
The rate of malnutrition in Glasgow is worse than in Africa in drought This happened on Dr Woods’s watch
Every MP in Glasgow is Labour. Labour has been in office in UK for a decade. You want to blame one person. Idiot.
Ryall and Horn found their hatchet man.
The only idiots here are the ones who are blind to it, and ridiculous enough to call for “proof” when all that is needed is to open your eyes.
If we let the NATs stay in, damaging health cuts* will be pre-prepared and ready to roll within the first 90 days of their new term.
Let’s make sure they do not get one.
*Those on premium medical insurance plans and access to private medical care will be least affected thank goodness.
Is there any evidence that this is more than a “notion”..?
You gotta be kidding me, the new, tight ass Scottish broom who will sweep the halls of hospitals very clean. Be interesting to find out why he is the FORMER head of the Scottish health board. What is wrong with our own medical people running the show and why can’t the health department save money by cutting admin jobs instead of our much needed medical people.
Well, it would be cool if MSM contacted him and asked him if this was discussed at his interview, is it part of his job description, and ask Mr Ryall to answer the same questions…
I think this should be looked at in the wider context of what next? Many Drs and nurses are already being asked to do far more than they used to. How many can be cut? how fast? at what point will it collapse like a house of cards?
Could we have less teachers? class sizes of 30? 40? 50? 60? Les prison guards and probation officers (whilst increasing prison populations)?
At what point is it worth the state employing people rather than paying them a benefit? At what point is the social cost of a policy to high that it overrides economic savings?
Not sure about slashing and burning, but in my experience the emphasis is shifting to power to doctors and less to anyone else.
Anyone remember that the Chief Nurse went due to ‘credit card misuse’ – from my source pretty much unfounded; they have not been replaced and when they are they will be far down the pecking order.
Oh goodie – soon we will be living in a country that has:
- lost all its good doctors and nurses to offshore where they are valued and paid more
- lost most of the teaching profession to offshore (incidentally, did you know that our teachers are paid ten grand less when they start than in aussie, and work the most hours of any OECD country) because the PM thinks they are out of touch and likes to use them as a political football
- lost all the other people who are currently striking or about to
- lost anyone with any brain who knows they can earn more offshore, be nurtured in their careers (not worried about being fired in 90 days by a shonky right wing bleeding heart company)
- lost all our highly qualified techs/scientists and r&d people who will and could actually save this country, because they know they are better off elsewhere
ETC
Way to go National – you winners. Keep on cutting back and when we are on our bones, and it breaks, and the economy has frozen because there is noone left to pick up the broken bits, then you can all sit around in your glass offices and ask yourself how did that happen. Gotta be proud to be kiwi right now. As for the poor misguided sods that voted them in – look in a mirror for the answer to where did all the good people go!
Agreed paul
So now the UK is exporting failure. Heaven help us all.
The NHS is a mess. Which is why I left the UK and migrated to NZ less than 3 months ago. Yet for some bizarre reason it is held up as a shining example and the model to emulate by politicians and healthcare managers in the Antipodes.
I despair………..
Earth to labour party – http://iansescapevalve.blogspot.com/2010/10/another-ridiculous-idea.html
Are you going to do anything about the Nats slashing obesity funding for prevention, then blowing $2 million to treat just 30?
Yeah Ian, we are going to put NAT out on their ear next year.
Please join our efforts in this very very worthy cause.
@ Ian 11:33pm
Nats spend money putting more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff
Gary Jones: that is what all their new roads must be for.
We need to humiliate them on their nonsensical, unsustainable funding of the health service.
Agreed. But since you need a conscience to feel shame, it will suffice to kick them unceremoniously out of office.
If I were to cynically think like a Nat though, I should say there is something seemingly more politically attractive with spending on something that makes more noise, flashes lights and races down the street … compared with a fence (!)
The title says it all!
Bleep me! 