Hon. Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

30 June 2006

DHB insider bails out from red tape

Red tape and bureaucracy in health will only get worse as the pressure grows on the Labour Government, says National’s Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.

He is commenting after Waitemata DHB boss Dwayne Crombie announced he was resigning to go private, slamming the ‘gobsmacking’ amount of compliance and monitoring in the public system.

Mr Crombie said: ‘It’s become an industry in itself and a lot of the time I wonder if some of it is more about protecting people's risks rather than really making a difference to whether people die in hospital or elsewhere. It takes a huge amount of resources.’

"When a Government insider of eight years is saying there's too much bureaucracy, then Health Minister Pete Hodgson has to wake up and cut the red tape,” says Mr Ryall.

"Dwayne Crombie's comments echo National’s concern about the amount of money being spent on needless bureaucracy.

"There's strategic waffle, hui and a liaison committee for everything under Labour – but no action to cut red tape and do more operations.

"The red tape is only getting worse as Mr Hodgson tries to blame everyone else for his own failings.

"The health bureaucracy has grown by 2,000 paper shufflers since 1999, and now costs more than $500 million a year.

“Under Labour, DHBs have employed a paper shuffler for every two nurses!

"No wonder Mr Crombie has bailed out.

“We wish him well in his new role with Guardian Healthcare. Like so many patients, he's going private, too."

ENDS

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