1,454 Wait Two Years Or More On Active Review Waiting List

ACT Health Spokesman Heather Roy today released shocking new information showing that nearly 1,500 New Zealanders have been waiting two years or more for surgery under Helen Clark's Active Review waiting list.

"Health Minister Annette King should be ashamed of the fact that 1,454 patients have been left to wait two years or more for treatment - even worse, 22 have been awaiting surgery for five years," Mrs Roy said.

"In the meantime, despite these damning figures, the best the Minister can do is launch personal attacks against me for simply revealing the truth about Labour's waiting lists and her incompetence.

"Two weeks' ago, Ms King in a speech to the Elective Services Forum, described my earlier disclosure of 3,083 waiting list patients dying while waiting for surgery as `not only dishonest' but `an insult to everyone in this room'.

"Ms King's only defence was that I had used `raw data' - but it is her data. Her problem is that she simply refuses to believe her own figures.

"Under pressure from Helen Clark, who's demanding no damaging coverage from her Ministers in election year, Ms King is losing it. She is lashing out because she has finally been forced to release data that shows her failure on waiting lists.

"The simple truth is that waiting lists are too big, people are waiting too long, and too many are dying. Ms King has failed New Zealanders as Health Minister, and must go," Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

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