Cunliffe Follows Predecessors' Mis-Guided Footsteps

New Health Minister David Cunliffe was completely out of line when he blamed Boardmembers for the raft of problems being faced by the beleaguered Capital & Coast District Health Board, ACT New Zealand Health Spokesman Heather Roy said today.

"Answering questions in Parliament today, Mr Cunliffe unfairly put all blame on to the Board itself," Mrs Roy said.

"What this new Minister has completely ignored is that DHB members are instructed that their first duty is to implement the Government's health policy, and that many Boardmembers have been censured for speaking out about what could be deemed inappropriate decisions.

"District Health Boards - which are expensive to elect, and even more expensive to run - should be dis-banded if they have no power.

"They have no ability to represent the health needs of their local populations and can implement nothing without first gaining the approval of the Health Minister and his Ministry - a situation that can only be described as central control in the guise of regional responsibility.

"Mr Cunliffe also said in Parliament today that this is now 'his show' and he's running it - if that is the case, then he must take responsibility for the problems at Capital and Coast DHB rather than allow the capital's public health services to limp along and suffer further failures," Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

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