Ryall in denial over staffing shortages

Tony Ryall only has to look at the list of current vacancies at Waikato DHB to see a staffing shortage there hasn’t been addressed at all, Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King says.

“While a routine certification audit found Waikato was at high risk of a staff shortage, Mr Ryall claims that is no longer the case and has been addressed.

“He is clearly in denial. As of today the DHB is advertising almost 60 vacancies on its website, including one for a specialist in rehabilitation medicine – classified as ‘urgent’. They are even advertising for a chief executive.

“Others are not entry level either. They include; a clinical nurse specialist, mental health nurses, an electrophysiology fellow, a palliative care specialist, registered nurses, a specialist paediatric surgeon, a specialist neurosurgeon, a specialist medical oncologist, and a senior medical physicist.

“A response to an OIA request also shows Waikato DHB has major problems with filling vacancies. Over the last 12 months it took them on average 138 days to recruit senior medical staff and 72 days to fill nursing vacancies.

“That paints a completely different picture to the one Mr Ryall has provided.

“This is a DHB struggling to retain staff. That Tony Ryall is choosing to ignore that fact doesn’t mean it will just disappear.

“The Minister must surely understand by now that his health agenda and lack of resources is putting strain on our district health boards and their ability to care for patients and keep staff.”

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