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One of its architects has questioned the feasibility of a plan to cut $ 56.9 million from Canterbury’s healthcare system, who has admitted that it will put patient safety at risk.
Mary Gordon, Canterbury’s outgoing director of health nursing, told Nursing Magazine Nursing Nursing New Zealand the plan, which included cuts of $ 16 million in funding for nursing staff, would have “serious impacts … in the future.”
The nursing cuts were achieved through a two-thirds reduction in the hiring of registered nurses, a drop in the required number of hospital beds and additional nursing staff typically employed during the winter.
Acting CEO Peter Bramley said the additional capacity provided by the new Hagley Hospital facilities and the drop in acute demand as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions meant that they would not need staff for 45-60 beds, the equivalent of two. rooms.
But Gordon said the cuts would put patient safety at risk.
Gordon’s resignation was announced on August 20, the same day the board approved the plan, which Gordon said was designed by the executive management team at the request of the board.
DAVID WALKER / STUFF / Things
Outgoing Chief Nurse Mary Gordon addresses the CDHB in 2017.
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She is one of seven members of an 11-person executive management team who resigns in six weeks.
Board chair Sir John Hansen has said that implementing the plan would be “very, very challenging,” but the administration had assured the board that it would not cut services.
Gordon’s last day is September 18.
He said he was sad to leave after 18 years with the organization.
Supplied
Seven top executives have resigned from the Canterbury District Board of Health in weeks. Above, left to right: Executive Director of Support Carolyn Gullery, Digital Director Stella Ward, Executive Director David Meates. Bottom, left to right: Chief Financial Officer Justine White, Canterbury Medical Director Sue Nightingale, Executive Director of Nursing Mary Gordon, Chief of Staff Michael Frampton.
“However, I needed to be true to my own values and could not continue in the position where saving money had quickly overshadowed other priorities that are important to me.”
Gordon said Preservation of food their resignation was the result of a “dysfunctional and divisive” government team that had “little understanding of the business they are governing [are] only focused on finances and whose behaviors are not aligned with the values of the organization ”.
Stuff understands that the management team had developed a four-year plan to reduce the deficit and break even, excluding capital charges and depreciation costs related to the earthquake.
But this changed after a new board was formed in November last year, and former President John Wood and Vice President Tā Mark Solomon were replaced by Sir John Hansen and Gabrielle Huria.
Earlier this year, the management team was told they needed to accelerate the pace of spending cuts to bring the board back to a balanced position, including capital charges and earthquake-related depreciation, in two years. .
CATE BROUGHTON / THINGS
Ashley Bloomfield addressed a demonstration by Canterbury District Board of Health staff outside the CDHB corporate buildings.
Minutes from a July 16 board meeting show DHB Deputy Director General for Health Services Michelle Arrowsmith told President Sir John Hansen and CEO David Meates that the Health Ministry expected the board to cut $ 90 million in the next 12 months.
Instead, the management team proposed saving $ 56.9 million and reducing the deficit from $ 180 million to zero in two and a half years.
