Labour ignores poor A&E performance

Labour is still ignoring its consistently poor performing Accident and Emergency departments, says National Party Health spokesman Paul Hutchison.

He is releasing a new set of figures from the latest Hospital Benchmark report, for the quarter ended December 2004.

“There is virtually no movement in the results. District Health Boards are still failing to meet the target times and the money being put into health obviously isn't getting through to where it’s needed.

“Only four Health Boards met all three triage benchmarks, and the average results for all Boards combined have shown little change over the last three years.

“Fourteen of the 21 DHBs failed to meet benchmark goals of seeing patients within 10 minutes, for conditions such as serious head injury, massive bleeding or suspected heart attack. It confirms once again Labour’s inability to set sensible spending priorities, let alone manage a complex health system.

“The Government cannot afford to be idle when it comes to emergency health services. It knows its A&E departments are still seriously underperforming, yet it still hasn ‘t got the basics right.

"Despite the extra billions of taxpayer money being poured into the public health system, patients are still being culled from waiting lists. And now when they turn up for emergency treatment, this report shows they may not get it as soon as they should.

“Simply too much energy, money and time is being spent on Labour’s bureaucracy, and not enough is finding its way to the frontline," says Dr Hutchison.

Ends

Full results available at:

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/0/DD70E550CB50480DCC257002007830D4/$File/hbl2004.pdf

© Scoop Media