Save our nurses!

green-party

Tue Jul 17 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Save our nurses!

Tuesday, 17 July 2007, 1:22 pm
Press Release: Green Party

17 July 2007

Save our nurses!

The Green Party is strongly endorsing the six thousand name petition being presented at Parliament today in an attempt to save Kapiti's district nursing service from privatisation.

"District Health nurses have enormous value, providing a link between the hospital and the community. They are widely supported, and are seen to provide an efficient and effective service. Why would the District Health Board seek to change such a well regarded and established service?" Green Party Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley asks.

"We do not want to see the service privatised or undermined in any way," says Ms Kedgley.

"The new Wellington hospital will have 50 fewer beds when it is built, so the type of home based care offered by District Health nurses will become even more important.

"What's more, with our aging population New Zealand's demand for expert and reliable home-based care is only going to increase, and the link between hospital care and community care will be increasingly significant. District nurses, based within the DHB, enable those who are discharged early to have confidence that there will be continuity of care.

"New Zealand has a shortage of nurses, and if our region is to keep hold of the excellent nursing staff we currently have, we can't afford to undermine their service. District nursing is a skill built up through training and experience, and it would be real tragedy for Wellingtonians if we end up losing this resource due to short-sighted cost-cutting," Ms Kedgley says

Ms Kedgley has written today to the CEO of Capital and Coast District Health, supporting the petition and elaborating on Green Party concerns.

ENDS

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