Wanganui Hospital debacle not resolved

Answers given by the Whanganui District Health Board to Parliament's Health Select Committee would do nothing to reassure the public that Wanganui Hospital is safe, says National Party Associate Health spokesman Jonathan Coleman.

"The DHB Chair told the committee that the hospital has addressed the concerns raised by the Health and Disability Commissioner's report into the fiasco surrounding Dr Roman Hasil's period of employment at Whanganui DHB.

"But that's very hard to accept given that the report came out just two weeks ago, and given the nature of the problems the report highlighted.

"The report stated that the DHB had failed to fulfil its duty of care to local people. It said that there were plenty of policies and procedures in place, but the problem is that the DHB did not follow them.

"The DHB also failed to listen to the whistleblower nurse who was telling them the truth about Dr Hasil.

"Before the committee today, the DHB told us that they had still not fully investigated the background of all overseas doctors at the DHB to a level that would absolutely guarantee this situation couldn't happen again."

The report by the Health and Disability Commissioner into Dr Hasil says the failure to detect his blunders arose because his supervisors were grossly overloaded. The commissioner warns of the temptation to cut corners to employ and maintain medical staff without adequate supervision

"Wanganui is not the only regional hospital struggling to maintain doctors. The commissioner says these workforce shortages are 'endemic'. The committee heard nothing today that would convince anyone that it couldn't happen again at Wanganui."

"National makes it clear the future lies with stronger clinical governance ... doctors and nurses taking greater responsibility for the performance of each other - and the system - to improve patient care. We cannot afford a culture of silence or neglect within the health professions. The New South Wales concept of regional clinical networks offers a path to safer health services across our provincial communities."