Management Blowout Budget With Wasteful Spending

Management Blowout Budget With Wasteful Spending

“Health Cuts Hurt is concerned at overspending on consultants, bonuses and wasteful spending by managers and poor planning at Christchurch Hospital,” Heather Carter of Health Cuts Hurt said today. She was commenting on the report that Christchurch Hospital managers had spent over $130,000 in unplanned money on non-payroll staff in just two months.

“For example, our group has received reports of $1,200 being spent on a recent farewell for a Manager at Christchurch Hospital. There are also stories of expensively catered management meetings when there is a perfectly good staff café in the Hospital. This seems a major waste of taxpayer money.”

“The so called $11m deficit at Christchurch Hospital has led to a spate of consultants being paid big money for cost cutting reviews to telephonists, clinical records, maintenance staff and other groups,” said Heather Carter. “The focus in our view should be on managers and how they are overspending rather than on vital support services for clinicians.”

“Recently an untrialled emergency communication system failed in a life threatening situation. The system was then placed on hold,” said Heather Carter. “The money for the farewell would have bought two bleepers (round $700 each).”

“The Government and the CDHB should step in and pressure management to look in the mirror at their spending rather than forcing cuts on clinicians and support staff thus impacting on patient safety,” said Heather Carter.

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