Council Must Support Nurses Against Privatisation

“Council Must Support District Nurses’ Fight Against Privatisation”

The’ Turn the Tide’ campaign is calling on the Kapiti Mayor and Councillors to take a lead in fighting proposals to privatise the District Nursing service.

The campaign was launched this month by Councillor Alan Tristram and councillor candidate Lyndy McIntyre as a grassroots movement to get real leadership from the Council on community issues.

“Capital and District Coast Health are considering an option to privatise District Nurses – posing a huge threat to a health service which is vital to our community,” Ms McIntyre says.

“Mayor Milne and Councillors need to wake up and get in touch with the issues that deeply affect our community and locals really care about,” she says.

Ms McIntyre says ‘Turn the Tide’ strongly supports the ‘WeCare’ group campaigning to keep District Nurses directly employed by Capital and Coast DHB.

“We’ll be concentrating on getting political action.” she says, “and Councillor Tristram has plenty of experience in rousing the political conscience of the KCDC!”

A petition started by ‘WeCare’ got more than 600 signatures in one afternoon last Saturday when it was launched at Kapiti’s Coastlands.

“Almost everyone we meet wants to protect our District Nurses from transfer to profit-driven private businesses and is deeply concerned at any proposal to undermine the service,” she says.

“Look what is happening to the elderly and disabled in the hands of these profit merchants! All you get are lowered standards, less professionalism, poorly paid workers – and huge profits for the business firms.”

Councillor Tristram says Mayor Milne is ideally placed to put pressure on the Government and the District Health Board on behalf of the community.

“I`m sure that other councillors will want to support this initiative – and I`ll be asking the Council to hear a presentation from ‘We Care’ representatives at its next meeting,” he says.

“If we don’t act now, we will see one of the best sectors of the health services in our District demoralised and down-graded by undemocratic decisions,” he warns.

Cr Tristram and Ms McIntyre says they will also be calling on Capital and Coast leaders to come to Kapiti for an urgent meeting with ‘We Care’ and ‘Turn the Tide’ as soon as possible.

ENDS

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