23 November 2017
New Health Minister off to good start with speech to senior doctors’ conference
New Health Minister David Clark pressed all the right buttons with his address to senior doctors and dentists this
morning,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).
Dr Clark addressed the ASMS Annual Conference in Wellington, and acknowledged the work of ASMS members in helping to
hold together the public health system during a sustained period of neglect.
Mr Powell said the messages from the Minister were heartening.
“He also acknowledged the ongoing pressures on the senior medical workforce, and the significant impact of hospital
specialist burnout, social inequalities and widespread unmet health need. This would have resonated with our members,
who are some of the most senior specialists in the country and who deal with the consequences of these issues every day
in their working lives.”
He also praised the Minister’s clear commitment to properly resourcing and funding public health services.
“It sends a strong signal to the health sector that the neglect of the past is going to change, and we welcome that.”
ENDS