Cunliffe Follows Predecessors' Mis-Guided Footsteps
New Health Minister David Cunliffe was completely out of line when he blamed Boardmembers for the raft of problems being
faced by the beleaguered Capital & Coast District Health Board, ACT New Zealand Health Spokesman Heather Roy said today.
"Answering questions in Parliament today, Mr Cunliffe unfairly put all blame on to the Board itself," Mrs Roy said.
"What this new Minister has completely ignored is that DHB members are instructed that their first duty is to implement
the Government's health policy, and that many Boardmembers have been censured for speaking out about what could be
deemed inappropriate decisions.
"District Health Boards - which are expensive to elect, and even more expensive to run - should be dis-banded if they
have no power.
"They have no ability to represent the health needs of their local populations and can implement nothing without first
gaining the approval of the Health Minister and his Ministry - a situation that can only be described as central control
in the guise of regional responsibility.
"Mr Cunliffe also said in Parliament today that this is now 'his show' and he's running it - if that is the case, then
he must take responsibility for the problems at Capital and Coast DHB rather than allow the capital's public health
services to limp along and suffer further failures," Mrs Roy said.
ENDS