Health Minister's speech at opening of Wellington Regional Hospital

First of all, I'd like to acknowledge their Excellencies, the Governor General, the Honourable Anand Satyanand and Mrs Susan Satyanand.

I'd also like to acknowledge Parliamentary Colleagues, Sir John Anderson , Chair of Capital and Coast District Health Board, Kaumatua and Kuia, Members of the Board, Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast, staff and distinguished guests.

Your Excellencies, it is fitting the folks at Capital and Coast District Health Board have asked you along to open their new hospital today - you are the Governor General - but you're also their next door neighbour.

It's the least they could do after all the noise and dust and disruption you've had to put up with. 

Replacing or upgrading technology and bricks and mortar is imperative if we are to continuously improve patient services - and I congratulate you all on your achievement here today.  You should be proud you have completed such a major project in such style... if somewhat over budget.

However a new, state of the art hospital is just one prerequisite for a world class health service in our nation's capital.

The other essential ingredient is people. 

The health professionals here at this hospital are committed to their patients and to doing their very clinical best. However, the most ultra modern hospital in the world will still struggle if there isn't active clinical engagement in all aspects of patient services.

The more engaged people are in their jobs, the more likely they are to go above and beyond the call of duty, such as helping each other with heavy workloads or looking for ways to perform the job more effectively and safely.

Conversely declining levels of employee engagement undermine service and morale.

New and interesting overseas evidence shows that employee disengagement is accelerating as the world economic crisis bites deeper.

International research from the rather grandly named Corporate Leadership Council - a US based organisation of senior HR executives - says the ranks of highly disengaged employees doubled worldwide between 2007 and 2008.

They say disengaged and disinterested employees cost performance and undermine service. When you're worried about the future even when you have a job, you're less productive.

The Council concludes the best solution is people.

The research finds that people will re-engage with their jobs if organisations encourage good management that empowers staff to have greater active input and decision-making in their work.

It is the new Government's strong belief that doctors, nurses and other health professionals should have a much greater say in the way health services are delivered.

Globally, clinical leadership is recognised as a fundamental driver for better health outcomes.

In contrast, the influence of clinicians - doctors and nurses, on patient outcomes here in New Zealand has been falling.

This failure to engage the very people with the right expertise - doctors and nurses who know the patients' needs best - is seriously eroding the public health system's ability to provide patients with the care they need.

Across the country, many nurses and doctors feel less and less able to influence decisions on the delivery of health care, while being held increasingly to account for the results of those decisions, or at least responsible for those outcomes.

Many nurses and doctors and other frontline health professionals say they have given up the responsibility for leading the health system at many levels and are just getting on with their clinical work.

They have disengaged.

This can only be detrimental to the quality and safety of front line services.

We need a sea change in clinical engagement in this country.

A better, sooner, more convenient public health service will need more people who are prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty, who will find more innovative ways to work within financial constraints, help each other with heavy workloads and look for ways to perform the job more effectively.

The future of our public health service relies on getting the very best out of both managers and clinical leaders, who in turn are getting the very best out of each other.

International evidence is clear. Effective clinical leadership is a fundamental driver of improved front line health care. And that leadership needs to be supported by strong and committed managers.

The new Government aims to achieve that.

For the first time ever, the new Government has instructed District Health Boards to institute effective clinical leadership and we will hold Board Chairs accountable for it.  They in turn will be required to hold their senior management teams accountable for achieving genuine clinical leadership and engagement at all levels of health service delivery.

Clinicians themselves will have to step up and take on the responsibility and accountability that goes with a much greater leadership role.  The principle is clear: if doctors and nurses are being held accountable for the quality of the care they deliver, they should have the power to engage in how those services are delivered.

This will not mean getting rid of good management in our health services. Nor is it about our leading doctors and nurses giving up patients to be managers.

Our nation's best health managers know that clinical leadership is key to the health services' success.

Better clinical engagement will improve quality and job satisfaction. This will help the public health service retain skilled clinicians and attract new staff.

Many of you have told me you are appreciative of the efforts of your new management here at Wellington Hospital to re-engage clinicians in decision-making. I'd like to acknowledge that sense of improved morale.

You have a new hospital - you also have a new opportunity to rebalance leadership and achieve much improved delivery of health services to the people of the Wellington region.

It's not been an easy few years, and it won't be an easy few years ahead. But I know that Wellington Hospital is on the way back, and we're here to support you.