A Queenstown woman is surprised she is the only person to suggest a possible new vision statement for the Southern District Health Board following an Otago Daily Times article last week.
Former nurse Karen Boulay proposes "Working to provide humanitarian healthcare for all New Zealanders" could be the new statement.
The board will ask its staff this year to develop a new vision, since the previous Otago and Southland boards had statements and values statements that were different.
Ms Boulay suggested nine other supporting statements, including a general values one: "Being realistic in our endeavour to provide healthcare to encompass all of New Zealand's cultural and individual differences, while bearing in mind monetary constraints."
Some of her suggestions were in down-to-earth language, although she said colleagues she had shown her offering to advised she "should have made it stronger".
On accountability, she suggested: "Don't toss out the good ones to save someone else's butt."
In a statement relating to professionalism, she suggested those in the medical field needed to "take a step down" and "put your egos where they are needed", pointing to the outcome of the neurosurgery campaign.
Under the heading "Responsibility", she wrote: "Listen to the people who are really affected by cuts to services."
Ms Boulay indicated she was sceptical about the impact any vision statement would have on the way health services were delivered.
