19 November 2015
Environment Increasingly Toxic to Work in
The environment senior doctors and dentists are working in is increasingly toxic, the President of the Association of
Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), Dr Hein Stander, told senior doctors and dentists this morning.
Addressing the ASMS Annual Conference in Wellington, Dr Stander said district health boards (DHBs) were under pressure
to deliver more with fewer resources, and this pressure was being transferred onto the workforce.
“DHB chief executives are increasingly acting like climate change skeptics. Some have moved to zero tolerance and are
resorting to formal disciplinary action rather than trying to sort out small misdemeanours.”
He said this change in attitude – even in DHBs where there had previously been good relationships - did not appear to be
a passing phase or a hiccup, but a sign of toxicity that was set to continue for the foreseeable future.
“We need to get back on the front foot so we can shape the environment and place the patient in the centre of the health
system rather than financial balance sheet,” he told ASMS members.
ENDS