Ex-Waiting Lists Patients Becoming Acute?
“Health Cuts Hurt is seeking information about the number of patients who were cut off the waiting lists in 2003 only to
be admitted since as acute patients,” Heather Carter, Chairperson of Health Cuts Hurt Inc said today. She was commenting
on ex Christchurch Hospital Manager Jim Magee’s admission that the Hospital did not know how many patients who were cut
off the waiting lists in 2003 were later admitted as acute patients and that it was important to know this.
“In early 2003, 10,500 patients on waiting lists for elective surgery, were referred back to their GPs by the CDHB. At
the time, for example of the 306 eye patients cut off the waiting lists, the Board claimed that 95% were for ‘routine
cataract surgery’. Under Gynaecology - of the 304 patients cut off – the Board claimed that 80% of these were for female
sterilisation (tubal ligation). “
“Health Cuts Hurt was formed in reaction to the cuts to the waiting lists and was highly critical of the move at the
time,” said Heather Carter. “Given the uproar at the time by the people of Canterbury, it is very surprising that the
Board has not kept records of how many of these patients have been admitted to acute.”
“There is a Hospital Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday (31 August) and our group is looking to see this issue
discussed there,” said Heather Carter. “In the light of the head in the sand approach of the Board on this issue,
perhaps the animal sponsored by the CDHB at Orana Park should be an ostrich, rather than the zebra.”