Hon David Cunliffe
Minister of Health
13th June 2008 Media Statement
Minister receives report on West Coast Hospitals
The Minister of Health, David Cunliffe today said that an external review of the West Coast District health Board’s
booking systems calls for some short term actions at the DHB and a greater collaboration between the West Coast and
other South Island DHBs.
The report by Dr David Galler, the principal medical advisor for the Ministry of Health recommends:
• An immediate Review of the West Coast DHB’s Central Booking system.
• By the end of June the west coast DHB will provide the Ministry of Health with a report accounting for all of the
outpatient referrals incorrectly entered on to the booking system.
• A re-credentialing of all the Hospital’s services. This will be done parallel with departments in other neighbouring
Health Boards.
• All South Island DHBs will work collaboratively with each other to ensure appropriate and sustainable services are
developed across the regions.
The Galler report which recommends an immediate review of the DHB’s Central Booking system is critical of how the
booking system was implemented.
“Dr Galler recommends that some of the boards own expert staff are involved so that a more productive
clinical-management relationship can be rebuilt “, said David Cunliffe.
“I am pleased to note that the Board’s own review makes it clear that there was no issue of public safety in any of the
problems that surround the booking system”.
“It must be remembered that while the West Coast is our most sparsely populated and isolated community , the District
Health Board is the best funded in New Zealand on a per capita basis “,said Mr Cunliffe.
“I want to see an immediate start to implementing the Galler report’s recommendations and to that end I will be
contacting the chairs of neighbouring DHBs and asking them to work with the West Coast Board”.
While the Galler report calls for an immediate resolution of the referrals lost in the changeover to the Central Booking
System he says most of these have now been correctly entered or deleted and only a handful still remain outstanding.
ENDS