Lynda Scott MP National Party Health Spokeswoman

14 August 2003

Lack of action on funding grounds ChildFlight

Blame for the collapse of the ChildFlight Trust can be laid squarely at the feet of the Government, says National Party Health spokeswoman Lynda Scott.

"Just ten days ago ACC Minister Ruth Dyson was telling New Zealanders that the service was too important to be allowed to collapse, yet today it has," says Dr Scott.

"The Government has known about the potential for this to happen for a couple of weeks but instead of acting swiftly to save the Trust, it has been sitting on its hands.

"When, on August 5 Ruth Dyson said 'I am confident that a long-term solution will be found,' was she referring to a long-term solution that involved the Trust's collapse?

"This is a critical service for children, not just in Auckland, but throughout the country - its future should be certain," says Dr Scott.

"What's worse is that the future of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust, which carries critically ill adults, is also precarious.

"The trust has been pleading for a stay of execution until the end of the next financial year, but the Government hasn't yet offered any life-line there either," Dr Scott says.

"There are services that need to be run at a local level, but surely the provision of an air ambulance, should be guaranteed by the Government as a national service.

"The collapse of ChildFlight puts critically ill children all over New Zealand at unnecessary risk," Dr Scott says.

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