Doctors cautious at Clark's talk of cutting surgery waiting lists

The Prime Minister's promise to cut surgery waiting lists must be backed up by more investment in health professionals, says a senior doctors' union.

Helen Clark said at the weekend that the Government planned to include a big cash boost for hospitals in May's budget to target "elective" or non-urgent surgery, such as hip replacements.

"Particularly in the orthopaedic area, we have not got the results we have got in other areas," she said.

"We are leading up to some targeted interventions."

The head of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, Ian Powell, said that although it was "great news" the Government was seeking to increase the number of orthopaedic operations, Helen Clark should not forget the need to value, recruit and retain health professionals.

"It is health professionals who, more than anyone else, make the health system work but in general, health professionals are not valued well enough by district health boards, despite their rhetoric to the contrary," Mr Powell said.

"Their terms and conditions of employment are seriously deficient in an internationally competitive market."

The union has been negotiating a national collective agreement since April after 10 years of single-employer negotiations.

Results of a secret postal ballot on the health boards' latest proposal are due on February 5, but the union has advised members to reject the offer.

Mr Powell said both senior doctors and nurses, in their pay equity campaign, were "working hard" to get the health workforce back on track.

"If district health boards and the Government valued doctors, nurses and other health professionals as much as the public does, then I am confident that they would receive fair and internationally competitive employment conditions."

- NZPA