RECKON YOU HAD A TOUGH WEEK AT THE OFFICE?

I normally like to write about things up here as this is where I live, however many of you would have noted the media uproar last week when good people who had worked hard to cut medical costs got a shock legal decision, followed by political point scoring from low profile MPs out to impress their new leader.

The three DHBs in the Auckland area set about reducing laboratory testing costs so that more money could go into other pressing areas of health. A new contractor offered to provide an improved service for around $20million less per year. Audit NZ approved the tender process, but the losing incumbents hired lawyers and managed to persuade a judge that they were disadvantaged because they didn’t realise that innovative delivery methods were desired, nor amazingly that lower prices were very important.

They managed to link a former board member in as a conflict, when I can assure readers his involvement meant nothing to the boards, who were solely interested in saving money. Anyone attending any of the DHB board meetings would have known how important price was but things do go wrong in the justice sector. That is why we have courts of appeal.

I can’t say it is fun being hounded by press who in the normal course of events can’t be bothered to attend our board meetings and it gets worse when National party MPs call you a left wing Labour party flunky, especially when the Nats call you in to sort out their problems like digital driver license schemes that don’t work or power failures in Auckland.

How do they think they are going to reduce our taxes if they yell at people trying to save money. The stuff they put out about waiting lists is also rubbish. At ADHB the cancer treatment wait times were 6 weeks for all of last year but grew to 11 weeks (not 16) as a result of a strike by workers. These will be back to MoH guidelines of 4-8 weeks soon. ADHB is currently approaching GPs pointing out that there is more capacity for hip replacements than suitable candidates at present!

Don’t believe all you read in the national papers, trust your local.