Because accusing the striking senior doctors of the worst kind of politics is not going to help anyone. The only thing that is going to help right now is money - and he is simply going to have to pony up the cash and pay those doctors a lot more.
Look, I know, there will not be a lot of public sympathy for doctors who are on that kind of money - whether it's $350,000 like Simeon claims or only $250,000 like the doctors claim - it doesn't matter whether we think they're paid not enough or too much
What matters is what the rest of the world pays, because that’s who we are competing against for senior doctors.
NSW, I've been told, is the part of Australia that pays senior doctors the least, and their starting pay is more than what our senior doctors get on the highest level here. And they, by the way, just had a three-day strike themselves.
We already have such a shortage of senior doctors in this country that in Taupo Hospital not even a third of the positions are filled. I don't know how they're running that place.
So while I appreciate that Simeon Brown is a very good politician and could well end up wining the PR battle against the doctors - ultimately, it's not the voters he has to convince, it's the doctors.
And there, money talks.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
And where is this money to come from? Do we just borrow more?
Perhaps give the choice to the doctors. What government services would they like to shut down so they can buy a new merc?
Many sectors of our economy can claim they are underpaid.
Why do you not question how did NZ get in to this situation?
Lets just print more and more money. That's the solution.
I lost nearly everything in Gabrielle and from my perspective any income is good now.
More money means more tax and the merry go round continues. How long is left for the doctor & patient consultation process in NZ as we currently know it .
When you investigate the huge AI progress in all forms of analysis maybe NZ should be instigating another form of diagnosis by AI or dare I say it robot for our health services or at least for initial consultation .
I realise some consultations need confidentiality but for many AI could relieve the wait time and doctor shortage .
We seem to be able to find the money for te reo lessons, kapa haka shows etc. etc, so isn't it just a matter of prioritisation?
I find written opines like this more than interesting. They usually are written off the basis of a recent event, that maybe the Author has some connection to and/or is against such actions - the recent example Doctors & nursing Staff at Nelson Hospital " speaking out".
In this instance, with the Doctors I wonder how many will end up in of The Medical Practitioners Committee, being ' reprimanded ' for the actions they took. This activity ' being nudged ' by a Civil Servant (not the Minister) within the NZ Min. of Health.
Please note Nelson's current history has longevity.
What we need to ' review ' is not just the current case of woeful ineptitude, by Health Officials - but the issues the prevail today.
Let us list some domains -
A:- Hospitals >
1. Wellington Hospital
2. Dunedin Hospital
3. Middlemore
4. Hastings
5. New Plymouth
All of the above have over time, past, had issues with building and have had to undergo serious updates. Middlemore is the current, the condition of the buildings have been noted for at least 2 years, if not longer.
Dunedin - is destined to become a clus ..... f..k because of " to many fingers in the pie".
Central Hawke's Bay lost a hospital. It was more expedient to have a centralized location - Hastings, thus Napier was closed as well. Now they find that what they had to start with, is no longer suited for purpose - and now requires a major re-build.
B: Change of Operating systems
1. Moving Selective surgical (and medical) to a specific hospital, so that patients are moved from receiving hospital to these domains, on the basis of what Specific medical/accident event occurred to that patient.
> this includes either road transport and/or medivac flight (which take time to get off the ground).
Thus you end up with Medical staff (specialist domains) now clustered in one area, thus reducing care at the front line.
Children's domain being predominately Star Ship Hospital.
Sadly all these events involve Govt, of the past, not one has ' placed hand upon heart and decided to tackle any and/or all issues with gusto ' , their actions were piecemeal, thus it leads to today's problems.
I side with Simeon Brown on this one. Let the senior doctors strike. They’re overpaid and purposely exclude highly experienced and qualified overseas doctors from practicing here. They are playing the worst kinds of politics and someone needs to play hardball with them.
PS: the rest of world pays too much for doctors as well and its time their performance outcomes were measured in terms of the general health of the population which has never been worse.
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