Media release from the Public Service Association

The Public Service Association is concerned that the Ministerial Group established to review health spending will unfairly target staff providing essential support for nurses, doctors and other clinical specialists in our hospitals.

"Front line hospital staff can't do their job without their administrative and clerical staff," says PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott.

"These workers do the vital support work that enables doctors, nurses, anaesthetic technicians and other medical staff to focus on treating patients."

"It will not improve the service for patients if we target these workers and make cuts that undermine their ability to do essential support work for medical staff in hospitals," says Brenda Pilott.

She says Health Minister Tony Ryall has made extravagant claims about there being too much bureaucracy and wasteful spending in health.

"But he hasn't mentioned that we're spending $12.2 billion a year on our health services and that less than 2% of that is spent by the Ministry of Health administering the use of that money by our health service and planning for our future health needs," says Brenda Pilott.

She says the PSA is also concerned that the Ministerial Group announced by Tony Ryall lacks a workers' voice.

"We're disappointed that despite promising to be inclusive the government has not included
anyone to represent staff working in public hospitals or at the Ministry," says Brenda Pilott.

"It's vital that the people on the Ministerial Group take on board the views of those doing the hands-on work in our hospitals and at the Ministry."

"And the government needs to ensure that it includes a workers' voice when it establishes its other Ministerial Groups to review government spending," says Brenda Pilott

The PSA has 5000 members working in public hospitals in administrative and clerical roles. They do a wide range of jobs that include:
- medical record clerks who keep track of patients' medical records.
- medical typists who type up doctor's notes.
- booking clerks involved in booking patients appointments with specialists and for surgery.
- clinical coders who enable the Ministry of Health and district health boards to keep track of the money provided for operations and other medical procedures.

The PSA has 300 members at the Ministry of Health whose work includes:
- providing policy advice
- administering the purchasing of national health services
- monitoring performance of funders and providers of health and disability services
- developing and administering legislation and regulations related to health service facilities, providers and public safety