Senior Doctors Have No Joy In Saying Told You So

ATTENTION: HEALTH REPORTER NO. OF PAGES: 1

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,

MONDAY 1 MAY 2000

“SENIOR DOCTORS HAVE NO JOY IN SAYING WE TOLD YOU SO OVER COMPUTE BUNGLE”

“Senior doctors have no joy in saying we told you so in the latest stage in the computer purchase bungle by Capital Coast Health,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.
Mr Powell was commenting on the recent decision by Capital Coast Health to abandon the computer system purchased from the American company, Shared Medical Systems, for its laboratories. Previously Capital Coast Health had to also abandon the system for pharmacy while it has also run into trouble in radiology. The minimum overall cost of the Shared Medical Systems purchase was at least $26 million. Former Capital Coast Health Chief Executive Leo Mercer had also worked for Shared Medical Systems.
“Senior doctors warned Capital Coast Health over the purchase of an expensive computer system that was devised for the fundamentally different American health system that was also untested in New Zealand. But their concerns were continually ignored with public relations claims that all was well.”
“Now millions of taxpayers dollars have been misspent through inept decision-making by the former bosses of Capital Coast Health. Taxpayers have been pillaged but those responsible are not accountable for their irresponsible actions,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

For further information please contact:
04 499.1271 work 021 445.521 cellphone 04 292.8214 home

© Scoop Media