Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

13 December 2007

Culture change needed at Capital Coast

“More than half of the new Capital and Coast District Health Board will be the same old faces,” says National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

“What’s needed is a culture change at Wellington Hospital. That is no easy task, considering the climate of mistrust between managers, the board, and frontline health staff.

“With more than half the board returning, a culture change will be even more difficult. Six of the eleven were on deck as the current catalogue of crises developed.

"It's going to be a Herculean task for Sir John Anderson, and it's not helped by having so much baggage from the old board.”

Mr Ryall says Government briefing papers reveal that Labour has had the CCDHB under ‘intensive’ monitoring since May.

"This idea of a Crown Monitor doesn’t mean much since they have been monitoring Wellington intensively for six months.

“And all the while, Labour has been watching the crisis unfold at CCDHB. For half a year, public health services have been allowed to suffer, while the Health Minister ‘monitored’.”

Mr Ryall says Wellingtonians will trust Sir John Anderson and look to him for action.

"Getting a culture change will be very challenging from the chairman's seat and even more challenging when Sir John is also trying to turn around TVNZ.

“The frontline personnel must be part of the solution. Recently, they’ve been treated as if they are the problem, and that’s ridiculous. National's health discussion paper details a number of proposals for re-engaging the clinical workforce to improve service.”

ENDS

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