Media Release

13 September 2006

Health System - Who's in Charge?

The Minister of Health has perfected the art of expressing sympathy for those affected without admitting to any responsibility when he is interviewed about striking medical workers, says New Zealand First health spokesperson, Barbara Stewart.

“With more strikes by radiographers looming he will have opportunities to practice the more in sorrow than anger stance again during the next few weeks.

“However let’s not forget that the Minister of Health is supposedly in charge of the health system – not the district health boards and definitely not the bureaucrats running the district health boards.

“No amount of weasel words will change the fact that the people who stand to suffer most from all these shenanigans are the patients who have to wait longer for treatment and those who slide further down waiting lists because of industrial action.

“The Minister should take whatever steps are necessary to resolve this situation and preferably soon,” said Mrs Stewart.

ENDS