Health staff fight for funds

Press, 11 December 1989, Page 6

Health staff fight for funds

PA Wellington Nurses and other health workers begin a campaign today to fight further reductions in public health funding, as Area Health Boards around the country take up their positions. Nurses say hospitals are already under-staffed and they fear that the Minister of Health, Ms Clark, will announce further cuts in February. They want an assurance from the Minister that health funding will be maintained at present levels. The Nurses’ Association spokeswoman, Ms Ann Chapman, said yesterday that a rally at

Parliament today would mark the start of a public awareness campaign that would continue till next year’s General Election. Politicians would be lobbied and pamphlets advertising the state of the public health system had been printed. Nurses wanted the public to know that “quality care” could no longer be guaranteed in public hospitals because of funding cuts, she said. The drop in standards had not resulted in any deaths or injury. “We just want the public and the politicians to know that there isn’t enough staff or equipment in the public hospitals to provide

a good health service,” Ms Chapman said. “If there are further cuts in funding we will not be able to cope.” She said the standard of care in public hospitals had deteriorated over the past three years as staff had been cut while patient numbers remained the same. But communities could change that by demanding a better service. Nurses would make the public aware of the plight of the public health system and would circulate a petition to Ms Clark calling for a promise from the Minister to maintain health funding, Ms Chapman said.