More MPs should visit EDs

The Herald reports:

Te Whatu Ora Health NZ says it has “reset” its expectations with ambulance services after it was not informed National Party health spokesman Dr Shane Reti would visit emergency departments while an observer during several ride-alongs.

An aspiring Health Minister who wanted to get first hand experience of how the health system is doing on the frontline. This is a good thing. The fact he is a trained and registered doctor, also meant he was sometimes consulted by the ambulance crews.

ut Peter Alsop, chief of staff for the office of Te Whatu Ora’s chief executive, said the authority should have been told of visitors to emergency departments. …

It told the Herald last week it was “generally accepted practice” when an MP goes to one of its facilities that it is made aware of their plans, for safety and privacy reasons, and it has “reset expectations with providers” and is putting “clearer procedures in place” for future visits by politicians.

This makes me laugh because when Tony Ryall (the best post WWII Health Minister) was Minister of Health, he would often be visiting a city and if there was a spare half hour in his schedule, pop in unannounced to EDs and just sit in the waiting room chatting to patients about their experiences. This is part of what made him such a good Minister – he didn’t just rely on papers from the ministry. He made sure he knew what was happening at the front line. He did this for well over a year, and never publicised he did this. It only came to public attention when a medical union complained publicly about it – claiming the Minister was spying on them. It made him more popular than ever.