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Patients suffering due to funding shortfalls - PSA

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Patients suffering due to funding shortfalls - PSA

3News NZ

The PSA says DHBs have a funding shortfall of around $116 million

The PSA says DHBs have a funding shortfall of around $116 million

The Public Service Association is hitting out at funding shortages at district health boards, amid claims patient care is being jeopardised. 

There are reports of hospital staff being unable to take breaks or holidays as vacancies aren't filled, so money can be saved. 

Analysis by the Council of Trade Unions suggests DHBs have a funding shortfall of around $116 million. 

Public Service Association National Secretary Richard Wagstaff says health needs to be invested in, not neglected.

"Health is always going to be a very demanding sector," says Mr Wagstaff. "There are increasing demands on it for a number of reasons, including an aging population.

"We can't just wish it better but spend less – we have to maintain investment and we haven't been doing that."

Mr Wagstaff says overworked and stressed clinical staff will only mean that patients suffer.

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Comments

30/09/2012 7:45:55 p.m.

rainbow wrote:

my husband was in aucklan hospital recently with a bladder op, he was discharged after 5 days only to return as the catheter the put is banked up and he woke up soaked in blood, an ambulance was rung hence readmittance,(the only way they will let you in at night) sadly they discharged him again but as there was nobody to comt get him at that hour the just tossed him out in the cold (wet wintery day) without a dressing gown just his blood soaked pyjamas!! os course we complained but honestly they couldnt give a stuff, i was so angry, trouble is now there is really no higher effective authority to go to to complain, that goes for staff as well, John Key needs a swift kick hes so damn smug, he has no idea whatsome people have to put up with, i feel we are moving toward privitisation of the dhb's

30/09/2012 7:33:17 p.m.

rainbow wrote:

hmm that short fall that the dhb;s so desparetly need theyve probably given it to the ethnic groups for yet another claim!!

11/08/2012 12:57:55 p.m.

rainbow wrote:

yes and dont we know it, its getting worse daily not yearly we see it everyday this dhb is getting so run down and the people they do employ especially in managerial roles dont give a toss about their staff or the patients, bullying is at at premium and staff are leave not because they dont need the job they cant deal with the stress any longer, it needs a good shake up and some better management in charge to make the difference

10/08/2012 2:27:11 p.m.

Helen wrote:

@david, well said, I thought the same thing. Mike, you actually have no idea what your talking about..P.s- NATIONAL SUCKS!!!

9/08/2012 12:56:25 p.m.

David wrote:

@mike thank you again for the press release from the National Party. TV3 I have said this alot... but please make people like Mike reveal themselves as PR reps for companies hired by the National Party. I wish labour were smart enough to do the same thing so there would be someone to counter idiots like Mike... But unfortunately its universally known that National are far better at this form of propaganda and deception.

9/08/2012 8:09:57 a.m.

Helen wrote:

It is unfortunate that the managers of the DHB let their staff work in such over demanding positions and dont speak up for them,. I know of people who have sufferes from terrible health issues stemming from workloads that are absolutely ridiculous. There is a mentality within the ADHB that "you do the work or you get in trouble" or get spoken too, even if its not your work and your already are doing way more than is contracually required. It is true that your well being is not a priority as a staff member at ADHB. Such a shame!!!!!!!!!! - I guess staff will end up being patients, but at what cost!? Its about time the can of worms was opened about what really goes on behind the walls Of the ADHB...Lets put the CEO in a frontline job and see how he/she copes after 2 months! then I bet something would be done.

9/08/2012 5:26:31 a.m.

alison wrote:

Its not just hospitals that are sufferring. All public sectors are and especially with the winter flu season upon us which National didnt account for in their cuts we end up with chaos. Mike admin problems from people with medical backgrounds make poor administrators you say. Are you trying to say our doctors are not up to standard in their paperwork? I have a lot to do with hospitals having frequent family stays and I can only applaud the staff. No they dont have money to fritter like our PM. Yes there is the odd mistake and they are overworked especially this time of year. State sector needs to stop not replacing and start hiring to cover sickness and burnout.

8/08/2012 8:42:11 p.m.

Devine wrote:

The MOH says no cuts are being made - but they are pushing all the medical admin work out to overworked staff who end up having a mental breakdown and being pushed to leave to cut more costs. Its all numbers and the number of patients coming into the hospitals is crazy... 1 in 3 people in NZ will end up with a life threating illness doesnt that tell you how busy our hospitals are?. Sadly your life isnt worth the bit of paper its printed on. They health services you are their to get you better and back on the road to recovery, well they cant even look after their own staffs wellbeing.. But hey thats OK, you can always spend money and time on the gay marriage bill!

8/08/2012 5:57:53 p.m.

Mike wrote:

There have been changes to health, as now higher accountability is required for funding.

So many PSA want to go back to the days of blank cheques with no accountability.

Some of the funding shortfall is deliberate action by PSA refusing to use systems that are more accountable as a political statement. Its not the first time this has happened, as industrial action by the PSA lowering services to patients is common.

Its time the PSA got off its backside and worked for better patient care/service vs doing everything it can to sabotage anything done by National as a matter of course. Then again if changes were proposed by Labour the PSA would be almost as bad. Lets stop making it a political action, and work forward.

Yes the government is wanting more accountability, so work with it. In many areas funding has been increased where its accoutnable. Improvements can be made, but PSA is against any change, even change for the better.

25 years back I caught pnuemonia in a public hospital, and was discharged with it. The poor service is not new, and instead of looking to improve anything in decades, the PSA has faught every change to improve patient care or patient service.

Partly we need to address the admin problems as often someone from a medical background make poor administrators, but because they are from the medical side they reject change on prinicple when similar healthcare is often done in private health with less staff and better customer care and service. Lets learn from private for systems that work better, and apply them to public health. But for that to work we need the PSA to stop sabotaging all change!

8/08/2012 1:42:10 p.m.

cato wrote:

I think that John Key is a raving lunatic! Forever telling us to tighten our belts and learn to save more yet he spends money like it is going out of fashion. Having to borrow millions every week he readily squanders money at every opportunity.
Whilst respecting our countries dead, I consider it totally unacceptable to spend $90 million dollars on a new war memorial and also giving $2 million to Fiji to assist with the upcoming election whilst people in this country are dying through lack of funding for lifesaving surgery and people are struggling to make ends meet. It makes me wonder if there is,perhaps, a secret agenda to deny people surgery in the hope that there will be fewer superannuitants to be supported.
How Mp's can sleep at night is beyond me.