Hard News by Russell Brown

SDHB staff member Tina Hill took the fairly brave decision to publicly criticise her employer on the issue last Friday.

Bold step by Tina, yes, and thank you Russell because this really helps! I am just so pleased to see Prof Gane's comments, is a vindication, clinical sanity. I asked SDHB politely again and again since June but they seemed to view me as a radical with no idea of the rules and background, instead of a well informed, well intentioned local resource.

Some background: The SDHB isn't actually a board at the moment, no elected members, it's controlled by a Wellington appointed executive tasked with reducing costs any way possible. This means the operating theatres leak when it rains, food is shipped from Auckland, people get served unidentifiable reheated mush.

And most importantly no real public accountability. It's being run by Wellington accountants, not doctors. If they can avoid short term costs to avoid long term savings it probably looks good on their spreadsheets.

The underlying problem is a percapita funding system that designed for big cities that falls down with a single board responsible for almost half the South Island

More accurately a Beehive appointed executive. Don't blame Wellington.

Dunedin's Hepatitis C Resource Centre, run by the feisty Allison Beck, is closing after a funding cut.

Dunedin does need that place – the more so because of the SDHB's attitude. Hard not to wonder if it's because they were too stroppy.