Media Release
20 January 2004

Patients Need Treatment Not The Run Around

''Auckland District Health Board’s move to reduce waiting lists for ear, nose and throat patients by referring them back to their Doctors is a further insult to the intelligence of New Zealanders who are increasingly being subjected to such conjuring tricks,'' said New Zealand First Health spokesperson, Barbara Stewart.

“Waiting lists should be shortened as a result of patients being given operations and treatment rather than just being sent back to their GPs. This ‘clerical’ rather than ‘clinical’ removal of patients from waiting lists is a forlorn attempt to make the government look good and to compensate for its poor planning.

“While Scrooge Cullen sits on a huge surplus for use in election year the Health Minister continues to fail to deliver the resources to solve the problem. Instead she hides behind her creation and appointment, the health board, and ‘to hell with those on the waiting lists’!

“This outrageous and absurd practice of sending patients round in circles because health boards are under resourced needs to be exposed as the confidence trick that it is. The focus should be on the Government and its lack of vision for health policy and on its short sighted view that treatment can be delayed until an election year,” said Mrs. Stewart.

ENDS

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