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Starship name change a mere smoke screen

Joint press statement of the Paediatric Society of New Zealand and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians - 29 April 2003

While the country breathes a sigh of relief at the minor U turn of Mr Wayne Brown at the retaining of the Starship name, he continues the plan to downgrade it from a hospital to a department. The real issues have been covered up, according to the Paediatric Society of New Zealand and the  Board of Paediatrics of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

"Although the name of Starship is important in giving the national children's hospital an identity, the much more serious concern is the risk that children's services will become just a clip-on to adult services," Dr Pinnock , Chair of the Board of Paediatrics said today. "Services for children are however fundamentally different. Children must be cared for in children's environments by staff, both clinical and administrative who understand their ways and are trained to support their needs. Years of international experience have taught us this is best achieved in a dedicated children's facility."

Mr. Brown should be applauded for his desires to improve children's health through improving Primary Care. No one would deny that aim.  However, no matter how much children's health is improved through these actions, some children will always require specialist hospital services.

The proposals of ADHB are taking the care of children back 20 years and are below what is the minimum standard in the developed world. Our children deserve services dedicated to them,"  Nick Baker, President of the Society said today.

An enquiry into heart surgery for children in Bristol in the 1990's made it absolutely clear that it was inappropriate for children with heart conditions to be treated in an adult institution, or transported to and fro for investigations. The health of our children is worth much more than curing funding deficits. Decisions such as this will compromise the health outcomes of children and the ability to attract and retain the staff required for high quality specialist services in New Zealand.

The very name originally proposed by Mr. Brown referred only to Auckland children. In reality at any one time up to 60% of children being cared within the national services based at Starship are from outside Auckland.

District Health Boards were planned as a means of providing communities with some say in their health services. In the instance of Starship we see one District Health Board making decisions which effect the whole of New Zealand but the whole of New Zealand does not get to comment on the decisions made by that Board.

The Ministry of Health needs to take urgent action on the development of a funding mechanism which recognises that specialist services such as the heart surgery unit, the children's cancer  service and intensive care are national services. No District Health Board should have the right or the power to make unilateral decisions on national services. This issue is one that effects every District Health Board and all the nation's children.

A review of Paediatric Specialty Services in 1998 developed a clear and rational report on how services should be organised in New Zealand to ensure the best possible outcomes within a fiscally responsible model. The lack of any plan for the development and funding of national services continues to impact on the health of NZ children.  Children must not be denied access to the specialist services to which adults have unquestioned access.

Nick Baker
President
Paediatric Society of New Zealand

Ralph Pinnock
Chair
Board of Paediatrics
Royal Australasian College of Physicians