Tony Ryall MP National Party Health Spokesman

16 October 2008

Govt retracts false health figures - cover-up continues

"The Government's decision to retract the false elective surgery figures released by David Cunliffe does little to clear the suspicious fog hanging over these election-year stats," says National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

"Labour's elective surgery performance is a political embarrassment, and this attempt to groom election year results is blowing up in their faces. However, Labour's election-year elective surgery cover-up continues.

"It is now time for the Government to admit that the alleged 12,000 extra operations over two years, includes a huge number of tests and appointments that are not normally counted as elective surgery.

"The Government should release the DHB-by-DHB breakdown of elective discharges as has been released in Parliament year-after-year using the same counting method.

"Not only do we have election year waiting lists, we now have specially groomed elective surgery results. Of course this follows Labour's cruel culling of 30,000 Kiwis from the waiting lists to make the numbers look better."

Mr Ryall says a proper explanation is required.

"Since Mr Cunliffe released the figures he must be held accountable for them. After nine-long years this now proves that Labour can't be trusted to give us an honest assessment about the state of the health sector.

"Under Labour elective surgery is harder to get, because it has failed to keep up with population growth. Despite $6 billion a year extra, fewer Kiwis are getting the surgery they need. It's time for a fresh start."

ENDS

© Scoop Media