Senior doctors’ union defends strike plans, says government is risking patient safety
- More than 5000 senior medical doctors will strike next month after pay negotiations with Te Whatu Ora stalled
- The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists union confirmed an unprecedented 24 hour strike on 1 May
- Te Whatu Ora says it is “disappointed” and “very concerned” about the impact strikes would have on patients
- Health Minister Simeon Brown said the union needed to “do the right thing” and return to the negotiating table
It is despicable for Simeon Brown to attack 5000 senior Drs for striking when this Government have manufactured the public health underfunding that is causing them to strike!
Senior Drs NEVER strike for shits and giggles, for them to do this is extraordinary and highlights just how destructive this Government’s public health policy has been.
This is the Government agenda…
- Sponsor Promotion -
…they are purposely underfunding public health so the private sector can gain.
This Government purposely under funded Public health so that they could manufacture a crisis and slash costs so as to fund their tax cuts and landlord loop holes!
In the Budget, National allocated just 2.9% increase to health services but inflation was 3.3% and population growth 2.6% while an ageing population adds more to costs.
National gave 2.9% for health but we needed 8% to stand still, that under funding has manufactured a crisis National are attempting to use privatisation to solve.
That’s what makes this announcement such a joke…
$20 billion of funding needed, first ‘Health Infrastructure Plan’ reveals
…National have acknowledged that the Health Infrastructure is badly run down, but they have no actual plan to fund these upgrades!
- Simeon Brown has unveiled a ‘clear pipeline for health infrastructure’ investment of ‘over $20 billion’ over the next decade, although it is unfunded and does not include detail of which projects will be built over what time and at what cost.
- Brown said the Government planned smaller upgrades, renovations and retrofits of hospitals, plus new rural medical centres, rather than new ‘mega projects.’
- But the plan showed some of the 56 projects would not be built before 2035, and would be signed off one-by-one by Cabinet, rather than as an assured pipeline. However, Brown did include detailed plans for 11 new car parking buildings at hospitals to be paid for and run by private companies.
- The $20 billion ‘plan’ is in response to requests for more than double that amount and uses a population forecast for 2073 of 6.6 million at 0.5% growth per year, rather than the 10.1 million more likely if the 1.28% growth seen over the last 25 years was replicated.
…the Sleepy Hobbits of muddle NuZilind are easily led, but even they see through Simeon’s smear and will punish him.
At some point sleepy hobbits, you are going to have to acknowledge National are destroying the public health we all rely on.
Your culture war grievances will mean jack shit when you get sick.
There’s a really easy solution here.
Tax the rich.
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