04 March 2005
No need to sacrifice workers rights for patient rights
“There is no need to sacrifice workers’ rights for patient rights” CTU president Ross Wilson said today.
“The Health & Disability Commissioner seems to be ignoring the rights of doctors as employees which are guaranteed as human rights by
international law, and by our own domestic law” he said.
“Doctors who are subject of a patient’s complaint are entitled to a fair process and it is surprising that the
Commissioner is arguing publicly that “reasonable cause” need not be shown before a doctor is suspended.” Ross Wilson.
“Patients rights are important but it is unacceptable for a senior Government official in a quasi-judicial role to be
suggesting that a doctor’ s human rights and fair process as an employee can be overridden” he said.
ENDS