Children And Families The Losers In Hospital Cutbacks

Children and families are the big losers from Starship Hospital's decision to cut back elective surgery because of nursing shortages, says United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne.

He says the decision to suspend elective surgery for three weeks affects 300 children and will place already stressed families under much greater anxiety.

"Starship is caught in a bind not of its making, although that will be of little consolation to the children and families suffering as a consequence."

"The real issue is the continuing undervaluing of the contribution of the nursing profession."

"There is presently very little incentive for people to enter the nursing profession, with its chronic shortages and constant overwork."

"The real message from Starship's difficulties must be that much greater emphasis has to be placed on making nursing an attractive career option once again."

"Pay rates as well as overall working conditions are important parts of that solution, and must be addressed as a priority."

"We already produce some of the best nurses in the world - it is just a pity we do not recognise that here, and that many of them are forced to become amongst our best exports," Mr Dunne says.

Mr Dunne says that as a "family first" party United Future is strongly committed to child and family health issues being properly researched.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>