Labour's health spokesperson Annette King says she is shocked by the tragic news that a state-funded patient at the
private Ascot Hospital in Auckland has received the wrong hip replacement operation
"This is a warning to Government to get it right before they steal contracts from the public sector and give them to the
private sector," Annette King said.
"I have been raising concern about this contract from its inception. This occurrence raises serious concerns about
awarding a public contract to a hospital that hadn't even opened when the deal was signed.
"In light of this situation, the Minister of Health has got to think carefully about whether the Government contract
with Ascot should continue," Annette King said.