Govt. Treats Junior Doctors And Hospital Chiefs With Contempt

The Government is treating the country's hospitals, junior doctors and patients with an arrogant contempt over the junior doctors' strikes, National's Health spokesperson Wyatt Creech said today.

"Hospital chiefs know they will have to find a practical solution to the junior doctors' employment contract demands, but are hamstrung because the Government has spent on other priorities and not provided enough for the basics.

"One hospital chief has said today he had "no idea where hospital and health services are going to find the money from. There seems to be an assumption that the money is sitting there to be spent".

"When questioned in Parliament today the Health Minister stated she was 'bemused' by these concerns from hospital chiefs.

"And the Minister of Education described the junior doctors as the country's "most militant trade union".

"The Education Minister has insulted junior doctors. This is not a normal pay round. There is general consensus that there is a shortage of junior doctors and more needs to be done to retain them in their jobs and in New Zealand.

"The hospitals are trying to resolve the problem and get the employment contract sorted out so patients can get the surgery and treatment they need.

"This Government refuses to provide any leadership and instead seems to want to tie itself up in rhetoric and insults over the contract instead of actively helping hospitals find solutions."

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