Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman
19 February 2008
Patients take back seat to media management
National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall is appalled that Labour is putting media management ahead of patient safety
as it holds back a damning report detailing a series of major failures at the country's public hospitals.
“What has been described as a ‘frightening array of serious medical mishaps and preventable deaths in hospitals’ was
supposed to be released in full on Wednesday. But fearful of parliamentary scrutiny, Labour has shifted the release time
to Thursday to limit parliamentary attention until after the recess.
“The Labour spin machine has also dribbled a series of strategic leaks, clearly designed to ‘condition’ the media and
the public ahead of the release of this information.
“Under pressure, we understand they will eventually release a league table that lists the number of ‘sentinel’ events
over the past few years - by DHB and as a percentage of patients treated.
‘Sentinel events’ are very serious hospital events that require further investigation, such as an event which has
resulted in an unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function.
“To avoid facing the stark truth, the Ministry will argue that the definitions used by each DHB vary and that this
information is not comparable.
“The Government is terrified about the release of this information, particularly following the Health and Disability
Commissioner last week saying that public hospitals were ‘unacceptably unsafe’.
“Patients are asking how come the Government is spending $5 billion a year extra on health, but our public hospitals are
being declared ‘unsafe’?
“This latest compilation of DHB information has been available for some weeks but its release is now getting intensive
treatment from the Beehive emergency spin department.
“Had Labour supported real doctors the way it employs its spin doctors, this mess would not have happened. This
behaviour is unfair to the vast majority of doctors and nurses in our health service who are not involved in these
cases.”
Mr Ryall says when public safety takes second place to a Minister who is trying to avoid embarrassment, it is time for a
change in leadership.
Late last year it was revealed that over a two year period 23 Capital and Coast DHB patients were victims of serious and
sentinel events. Sixteen died. Investigations found factors ranged from equipment failure to treatment delays.
ENDS