Paul Hutchison MP
National Party Health Spokesman
15 September 2005
Labour fails to report crisis at ADHB
National’s Health spokesman, Paul Hutchison, says it is a scandal that senior government Ministers were briefed in June
about the dire financial status of the Auckland District Health Board but they didn’t make the information publicly
known.
Briefing papers given to Ministers on 27 June 2005 reveal that ADHB has an underlying deficit of $100 million and there
are possible plans to cut more than 1000 staff as well as services.
“It is a damning indictment on Labour that despite ADHB having been under ‘intensive monitoring’ for two years it has
come to this,” says Dr Hutchison.
“What is far more damning is that senior government Ministers knew on 27 June but kept the information under wraps.
“Annette King has continued to crow about her supposed achievements as Health Minister, all the while knowing that New
Zealand’s biggest DHB is at serious financial risk and jobs and services could well be cut.”
ADHB board papers further reveal that ‘the culture has not been one of cost control or disciplined financial
management’, and that ‘the actions which ADHB must take include some which may generate high levels of discomfort within
the DHB and potentially intense media comment’.
“Labour Ministers have demonstrated unbelievable deceit by sitting on this information before the election. The public
and staff at ADHB deserve an assurance from the Health Minister and the board that there will be no cuts in services or
medical and nursing staff,” says Dr Hutchison.
ENDS