After five years working in the National Health servivce and compleating post graduate studies and specialist examinations in London,I returned to Hawkes Bay as one of the first specialists appointed to a full time Clinical hospital position. I was given resposibility for developing Child health services and worked in this field for 34 years to June 2006.

I have continued part-time work as a paediatrician.

I have served on national and local committee's to do with Meningococcal disease, Respiratory diseases,Medical education and Health research.

I am an elected member of the current DHB.

As a recipient of significant treatment through the public health service I have the benefit of having a 'consumer" view as well as that of a"provider"

If re-elected to the DHB I will do my best to obtain the best Health services we can have with the money provided.

 

 

 

Top 5 Issues

1. To support equal access to health services for all members of our community irrespective of geographic, social ,cultural or economic isolation.
2. To support health strategies based on scientific evidence wherever possible
3. To support health strategies based on "best practice" where some things must be done but evidence is lacking. Best practice can be defined as
   successful models available by reference to national or international examples.
4. To support strategies likely to enhance the morale
   of our health workforce and so underline the respect and gratitude due them by the DHB and
   the community
   
5. To maintain good and productive relationships with DHB management.

Personal Profile

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work as a clinician with children and their parents for many years; to have the opportunity to travel and compare our health systems with others;Australia,North America,Sweden,Japan and the United Kingdom. With this experience I know we have a good public health service and I am proud of it. But it isn't perfect and we can do better.

We cannot count on a significant increase in funding over the next few years. Improvement will have to come in other ways.

We all know that once admission to hospital occurs the costs start spiralling and if the condition could have been dealt with in the community huge savings could be made. Major efforts are underway in HB to improve interactions between community and hospital health entities the ideal being a service where transition between community and hospital is to use a hackneyed term; seamless. There are important prerequisites to attain this gaol;excellent communications possibly through a core/central electronic health record will be needed. As a member of the DHB I will support initiatives improving community/hospital intergration.

 

There is still a glaring disparity in health outcomes comparing our Maori and Pacific Island people, and others. There are issues of equity and justice including the Treaty of Waitangi that are appropriate to consider here. There are purely pragmatic issues too;"deprived" populations in all western countries are much more prone to earlier death, obesity, cancer and mental health problems to mention a few. Inevitably more very costly emergency admissions occur among this group. Measures to decrease these admissions would be the right thing to do and cost effective as well. Our DHB has a very good record of providing funding to improve Maori health. On the grounds of equity and pragmatism as a DHB member I would encourage and support even more effort in this area.