The outcome of the controversy over health services in the Wakatipu will test and clarify the sincerity of Health Minister Tony Ryall's commitment to clinical leadership, Ian Powell says.
Mr Powell, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said the future direction and outcome of the issue would see whether Mr Ryall's commitment went "beyond the level of rhetoric and a political slogan".
He made these comments in a speech delivered this week to the Australian Medical Association Conference in Canberra. In the speech, he outlined the background to the Queenstown situation, saying last week's public meeting had "roasted" proposals from Southern District Health Board chief executive Brian Rousseau.
These proposals included moving to an integrated family health centre model of care, where hospital and other health services would be provided from one site. This would involve revamping the Lakes District Hospital, joining the Remarkables Park development, or finding another site entirely.
Because this would take some years, it was proposed to save money by cutting some staff and reducing access to the Lakes District Hospital emergency department from July for people with non-urgent conditions.
Mr Powell said some progress had been made with the establishment of a small working group to look at cost-effective improvements to service delivery and an agreement not to proceed with planned medical and nursing cuts.
It was also possible the controversial proposal for an integrated family health centre could be overtaken by a collaborative exercise involving the board, his union and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, looking at the future direction of health services rather than "focusing in the first instance on structural change".
This work might involve assistance from the Ministry of Health, he said.
The district health board has declined a request from the Otago Daily Times for copies of the staff and union submissions on management's proposals.
Chief executive support manager Cherie Wells said making the documents publicly available would jeopardise negotiations with staff.
The board would, however, be "more than willing" to reconsider its position once the negotiations were complete.
