Arrogant ACC in denial over physios

“Ruth Dyson needs to make it clear whether she supports ACC’s arrogant dismissal of patient and physiotherapists’ concerns over contracts which some say have left the profession ‘in crisis’,” says National Party ACC spokeswoman Pansy Wong.

“ACC should care about physiotherapy as a profession, and the Minister should tell them that. From the reactions we’ve seen this weekend, it strikes me that any changes from a review of physio contracts will meet stiff resistance at ACC.

“ACC needs to accept there is broad political support for the review.

“I can understand why ACC is defensive when there are claims swirling about systemic failures, bullying and the falsification of evidence. But that’s no excuse for saying they don’t care about the future of physiotherapy as a profession.

“The patients care and they should be the ACC’s first priority.”

Mrs Wong accepts that ACC is administering current Government policy.

“Ruth Dyson needs to tell her department that Labour got it wrong and ACC must not obstruct change.”

Mrs Wong notes that ACC is spending $5.1 million on the misleading ‘Covered’ campaign, and that sort of extravagance must anger physios.

“As the advertising standards authority pointed out, those ads aren’t even accurate. Labour should scrap the campaign and better target those resources.”

She says the allegation that physiotherapists who have criticised Government policy have been singled out for detailed audits are alarming.

“This is not what we expect in a democracy, but it is what we’ve come to expect from this Labour Government.”

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