Single Chief Executive for two DHBs is a mistake
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The decision to appoint a single chief executive to lead two Wellington region district health boards is a mistake,” says Angela Belich, Deputy Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). She was commenting on an announcement that a single chief executive would be recruited to run […]
Read More →Senior doctors ask Minister to put pathology back on short supply list
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists The senior doctors’ union has asked the Minister for Economic Development, David Parker, to reverse his Ministry’s decision to remove pathology from the Government’s list of essential skills in short supply. “Removing pathology from this list is a mistake and just piles more pressure onto a workforce already under […]
Read More →Senior doctors welcome Government’s recognition of importance of public health service
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists The senior doctors’ union has welcomed the Government’s recognition of the importance of universal public health services and the need for further improvements. “Our public hospitals and other publicly-funded health services are as essential today as they were 80 years ago when the 1938 Social Security Act came into […]
Read More →Government needs to stop break-up of forensic pathology service and listen to the clinical experts
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The Government needs to listen closely to the small group of highly trained clinical experts working in the country’s national forensic pathology service, who are warning of unintended consequences in years to come if the service is dismantled,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical […]
Read More →Homicides could be missed if forensic pathology service collapses, warns senior doctors
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists The national forensic pathology service in this country is on the brink of collapse – and Justice Minister Andrew Little is refusing to intervene despite the advice of clinical experts, says the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “The seriousness of the current situation cannot be over-stated,” says ASMS […]
Read More →Nurses’ pay deal welcomed by senior doctors
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “Senior doctors welcome today’s news of a pay deal reached with nurses and congratulate this group of health professionals on their perseverance and determination,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on today’s announcement by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation […]
Read More →Legislated health targets not the answer to ensuring efficient public health system
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “Legislated health targets would be a clunky, heavy-handed way to monitor public hospitals and could end up putting patients at risk,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “If they were made a legal requirement, then governments would need to ensure a requirement […]
Read More →ACC medical advisors cancel strikes as talks progress
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “ACC’s medical advisors have called off planned strikes as significant progress has been made on two issues greatly concerning them,” says Lloyd Woods, a Senior Industrial Officer with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). ASMS represents most of the medical advisors employed by ACC, who provide specialised medical […]
Read More →Government-led accord on public hospital safe nurse staffing levels welcomed
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “Health Minister David Clark is to be commended for brokering an accord on safe nurse staffing levels in public hospitals,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “This is a very welcome initiative from a Minister who clearly wants to make a real […]
Read More →Elementary, Dear David
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Your browser does not support JavaScript!This website is best viewed with Javascript on. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings or update your browser. Working for better health care in New Zealand The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) is the professional association and union uniting doctors and dentists […]
Read More →Whitecoat website forcing doctors into dubious business relationship
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The Whitecoat website that rates doctors is looking more and more dubious on closer examination,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “It seems that doctors can be added to the website without their permission and the only way they can then have […]
Read More →Website to rate doctors a serious concern; questions asked about fairness, safety, and vested interests of health insurance companies
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The launch of a website that allows patients to rate their doctors sets a dubious precedent with no guarantee of greater transparency or improved quality of care,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “Not only that, it raises serious concerns about fair […]
Read More →Further strike today by ACC senior doctors
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ACC medical advisors will walk off the job again today (Wednesday 25 July) for four hours over their unsettled collective employment agreement. “They’re very unhappy about ACC’s continuing refusal to negotiate properly with them,” says Lloyd Woods, a Senior Industrial Officer at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). […]
Read More →Chilling impact of poverty on child health
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Matted hair on maggot-infested scalps, rotting teeth in pre-schoolers, developmental delays, damp houses and poor nutrition – some of the results of poverty on child health reported by paediatricians on the clinical front line. Three paediatricians report on what they see in the course of their work and what […]
Read More →Long wait times sign of deeper problems with health resourcing
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The long wait for important diagnostic scans at one of the country’s largest district health boards is yet another sign of unmet patient need catching public hospitals on the hop,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). He was commenting on reports that […]
Read More →ACC medical advisors on strike today
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists The majority of highly experienced senior doctors employed by ACC to assess medical claims have gone on strike this morning for improvements to their collective employment agreement. The strike for four hours from 8am today is the first of a series of weekly rolling stoppages, says Lloyd Woods, a […]
Read More →Syphilis deaths highlight need for proper health sector resourcing
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “The heart-wrenching news that babies have died from syphilis underscores yet again the importance of properly funding and resourcing essential health services,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “This should not be happening in a quality first-world public health care system like […]
Read More →More support and facilities needed for breastfeeding senior doctors
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “Breastfeeding senior doctors returning to paid work in public hospitals after parental leave need suitable facilities and enough time to express milk or feed their babies, as well as supportive colleagues and managers,” says Dr Charlotte Chambers, Principal Analyst (Policy & Research) at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists […]
Read More →ACC proposal unlawful and breaches health and safety
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists “ACC’s proposal to disestablish over 100 jobs in its clinical services directorate is unlawful and causing unnecessary stress for affected staff,” says Lloyd Woods, a Senior Industrial Officer at the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). ASMS has sought an urgent injunction from the Employment Relations Authority to stop […]
Read More →Ian Powell announces departure from New Zealand’s largest medical union
Source: Association of Salaried Medical Specialists The high-profile head of the senior doctors’ union is to resign at the end of next year. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) executive director Ian Powell has led the union since its formation in 1989, including at-times contentious collective bargaining with district health boards. He told doctors and […]
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