Southern health bosses need a new year’s resolution
“Southern District Health Board bosses need to adopt a New Year’s resolution as they return from their summer break
committing themselves to changing their top-down leadership culture,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), today.
“This top-down culture has caused much frustration for a number of committed clinical leaders in the DHB who are keen to
make a difference for the better. Unfortunately many of them find themselves marginalised and set up as scapegoats for
decisions made by their bosses perched above them.
“Despite the poor treatment from above, they have instead developed a positive initiative known as ‘better medical
engagement’ about enhancing the leadership role of senior doctors in Southern DHB.
“This initiative is commendable but will only work if DHB bosses allow it to work. They must resist the temptation to
smother or throttle it at inception. Instead they should embrace and encourage it to flourish.
“Comprehensive clinical engagement with hospital specialists is critical to improving quality and financial performance
in the DHB. Decisions made on the basis of clinical expertise and wisdom are more likely to improve financial
performance and be safer for patients.
Powell concluded by calling on Southern’s health bosses to put last year’s bad experiences behind them and move on.
“Leadership from the bedside trumps leadership from the boardroom.
ENDS