Concern at waiting list becoming political tools

MEDIA RELEASE

Grey Power are very concerned that the hospital waiting lists have become political tools in that every so often, so as not to embarrass the government, the MoH insist that the DHBs reduce their waiting lists and therefore a whole mass of people are returned to GP care.

"Apart from the extra load that this places on GPs, to arbitrarily remove people from a waiting list to serve a political purpose is totally irresponsible," say Mr Graham Stairmand, National President of the Grey Power Federation NZ Inc. "These people have been put on the waiting list by specialists because they need treatment, but to be then dumped off the list only consigns them to a phantom waiting list where they move from GP to specialist until the condition worsens and the required new level of points are reached. This shortsighted policy only serves to eventually clog the emergency departments when such a patients is admitted in critical condition. This is not the health system that we want or should have in New Zealand."

ENDS

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