What a comparison
Kathryn Powley in the HoS compares:
The Nats are promising to cut elective surgery waiting times from six to four months and boost the number of operations by 4000 and increase med school places.
Labour would develop “nationwide tools for elective surgery prioritisation based around timelines, equity and quality”. Hmm, concrete promises with dates, times and numbers attached, or long-term strategies, principles and vision? What’ll it be, voters?
I think this sums up the difference wonderfully. Ryall has focused on measurable important improvements, while Labour just have meaningless waffle.
The last Labour Government had dozens of strategies for the health sector. I think there was something like 50+ different goals and targets. The result was massive waiting times for operations, cancer patients flying to Australia for treatment, and huge queues in A&E.