Anne Daniels: NZ Nurses Organisation President on the protests in Dunedin over the Government's handling of the health crisis

Some believe yesterday's protest in Dunedin was about more than just the Government pushing pause on the city's new hospital.

About 35,000 people marched through the city calling on the Government to keep its promise and build it with no cuts.

Nurses Organisation President Anne Daniels says there's a general feeling this Government is failing the health system.

"The hospital new build just seemed to bring all of that anger and angst of all the issues to do with the healthcare system to a head."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks AB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yesterday, though thousands across the South Island marched to protest
the government over its handling of the health system crisis.
Dunedan saw on nearly thirty five thousand take to the
streets to protest proposed downgrades to the city's new hospital project. Meanwhile,
streets on the West Coast saw silent crowds gathered to
highlight problems the region is facing, including a GP shortage
and cuts to after our services. The government is being

(00:35):
accused of broken promises and downscaling of critical facilities. Frontline
health staff were out in force and support of the marches.
New Zealand Nurses Association President and Daniels was interned and
she joins me now, Cura, good morning, Good morning. Were
you surprised by the turnout yesterday?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
No, I wasn't, because I know that some said that
they were overwhelmed, but I actually expected it. The depth
of feeling, the anger that the people in this region
and probably throughout New Zealand about the state of our
health system and services is absolutely palpable. And everybody who

(01:22):
turned up and many who couldn't and wanted to be there.
Made it very very clear that this government is failing
us in our health system and our health services, and
the building, the hospital, new build just seemed to bring
all of that anger and angst of all the issues

(01:44):
to do with the health system to ahead. And they
made themselves very clear.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
And it's been a discussion, you know, an issue which
has been going on for so long. Where is the
new build or the hospital currently at Well?

Speaker 3 (01:58):
I understand all the foundations, polls or whatever they might
be have been completed and capped so that they don't
get filled with water and various other things. So you know,
the process is well and truly underway, and the outpatient building,

(02:20):
I understand, will be opened in twenty twenty six. So
you know, it is just absolute craziness that they don't
continue to go ahead with it, and the idea that
there's going to be a three billion dollar cost blowout
with absolutely no substance behind that statement is just unacceptable.

(02:44):
One of the speakers, in fact, one of the people
who actually lead this project, Pete Hodgson, said very very
clearly that the RUST report said in their first recommendation
that the project really needed to continue. It didn't say
any shape or form that it should be stopped. So,

(03:08):
you know, I think there's a lot of misinformation coming
out of the government because they want to do other things.
But that's on them. The decision was made in twenty
and eighteen at The two options that they put on
the table last week were unacceptable way back then, so

(03:29):
we can't revisit them. We need to go ahead and
finish this project as planned.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Were the aspirations for this hospital too high? Do you think, Anne?

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Sorry, I say again, were.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
There aspirations for this hospital too high?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
No? No, In fact, they were well and truly future proofed.
This was an investment into the future so that the
hospital could support an aging population. And I suppose a
growth in population down here in the bottom of the
South because of course Queen's and the Moniker well and

(04:08):
truly have a huge population growth. The South Island is
the place to be because people realize that the lifestyle
down here is wonderful. And no, I don't think it
was too much. The clinicians, there were five hundred clinicians
involved in the planning of this building. This building was

(04:34):
going to be fit for purpose and future proofed. So no,
I don't think there was too much aspiration there.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
When it comes to the nurses, where would it concern
you to see cuts?

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Well, it's very very simple. Right now, we don't have
enough resource beds in the old Political Services block to
actually support the growing need from the Otago regional population.
And if you actually build a hospital that has got

(05:09):
fewer beds, you are actually set up to fail. Will
fail on day one pretty much. So that's not okay.
It means that the patients will wait, that bed block
will be a reality of our lives every day, and
that people will suffer and die. We won't be able
to provide the planned out patients and surgery care that

(05:36):
needs to happen, and that is preventative care that is
here that will stop people getting sicker or will be
in constant pain. Now, none of this is okay. We're
talking about a building in terms of care. The nurses
and the doctors that provide that care need the facilities

(05:58):
to actually do it, and do it well, and do
it in a timely manner so that the suffering isn't ongoing.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
And it sounds like you did a bit of singing
and chanting yesterday. You need to go and look after
that voice.

Speaker 3 (06:12):
Thank you. Yes, I did lose my voice yesterday.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Well, we appreciate we all will let you go. We
appreciate you giving us some of your time this morning.
That was New Zealand Nurses Association president and Daniels. They're
keen to hear from you, especially if you're nder need
and how you feel about this. I absolutely understand why
there were so many people on the street yesterday.

Speaker 2 (06:32):
It is twelve to ten.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
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