Health care

Press, 8 October 1987, Page 12

Health care

Sir,—Dr Ross Fairgray, of the Canterbury Hospital Board, says (September 26) that the cost of a caring health system is not readily accepted by society. This implies that only with extra expenditure can we expect improvements in health care. But several disturbing recent disclosures contradict this. Would more money prevent the wrong operations being performed on the wrong patients? Amazingly, this happens often enough to necessitate a rebuke from the Central Medical Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee in the latest “New Zealand Medical Journal.” And money is irrelevant to the kind of attitude which has led senior doctors to use patients as teaching aids without their knowledge or consent, as at National Women’s Hospital. It is too easy for doctors to blame the miserly taxpayer for all health service shortcomings. Dr Fairgray should, in fairness, acknowledge, too, the shortcomings which stem from some of the medical profession’s own traditional attitudes, practices and priorities. — Yours, etc., A. D. CARSTAIRS, J. F. MCCARTHY. September 27, 1987. [Dr Fairgray replies: “The words which have been attributed to me need to be seen in perspective if they are to be interpreted correctly. My comments were made at a graduation ceremony for nurses. In the course of my very brief remarks I indicated that nurses exemplified the best within caring professions, and indicated that nurses frequently undertook duties which were greater than

formally required by their job descriptions. This dedication by nurses for patients was compared with society as a whole. I indicated that, not infrequently, members of the public were reluctant to have their taxation increased in order to provide adequate resources to ensure high standards of patient care services. If there was additional funding then I am sure that staff, be they doctors, nurses or other health professionals, would have more time to talk to and discuss matters with patients and, inevitably, this would lead to improved patient care, would reduce the risk of errors, and enhance the relationship of patients with those who provide such care.”]