Easy Solution to Waiting List Crisis says Shirley

Monday 9th Oct 2000 Ken Shirley Media Release -- Health

The Government can ease the waiting list crisis at Auckland’s Greenlane Hospital by publicly funding surgery to be carried out at private hospitals in the region, ACT Health Spokesman Ken Shirley said today.

Heart surgery waiting lists at Greenlane are four times longer than a year ago despite the hospital receiving extra funding.

“It is disgraceful that about 137 patients who have been waiting six months or more for an operation at Greenlane, continue to suffer,” Mr Shirley said.

He said the increase in waiting lists was “totally predictable” and believed the problem will get even worse.

“Precious public health dollars are being diverted into un-needed and unwanted restructuring plans, rather than going towards solving urgent problems within the public health system,” he said.

“We know within the total health sector we have the installed capacity to eliminate the waiting lists, all it takes is for Health Minister Annette King to see common sense and make a decision.”

Mr Shirley said that means publicly funding Greenlane heart surgery to be carried out at private hospitals, similar to what happened recently to ease the surgery backlog at Wellington Hospital.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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