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Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS)
Working for better health care in New Zealand
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) – Toi Mata Hauora represents the professional and industrial interests of senior salaried doctors and dentists around New Zealand. Most of our members are employed by district health boards in New Zealand's public hospitals but some also work in hospices, union health centres and other places. Our membership also includes salaried GPs.
ASMS promotes the right of equal access for New Zealanders to high quality health services, articulates our members' professional concerns, advises members on employment-related matters, negotiates collective employment agreements on behalf of ASMS members, and supports workplace empowerment and distributive clinical leadership.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) - Latest News [Page 17]
Government data on patient referrals falls short
Wednesday, 27 April 2016, 9:59 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“The information on patient referrals released by the Government needs to be seen for what it is: a partial snapshot that falls seriously short of what we need to know about access to health care in this country,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director ... More >>
Wake up call for Ministry of Health
Sunday, 24 April 2016, 1:48 pm | ASMS
“The Ministry of Health needs to urgently repair its damaged relationship with Canterbury District Health Board if its senior leadership is to work effectively with senior doctors and hospital managers there,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director ... More >>
Fluoridation proposal hailed by senior doctors
Wednesday, 13 April 2016, 10:49 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“The Government is to be commended for its excellent decision to let district health boards, rather than councils, decide on fluoridation of local water supplies,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ... More >>
People Missing Out on Surgery is a Dismal Situation
Monday, 11 April 2016, 2:18 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“The latest survey findings are further dismal evidence that people are not getting the surgical treatment they need, and the Government needs to act to remedy this,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ... More >>
Return of the Empire by stealth
Wednesday, 6 April 2016, 2:51 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“It is increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Government is returning to the market approach to health that was tried and failed in the 1990s,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ... More >>
Medical students, senior doctors tackle workforce challenges
Friday, 1 April 2016, 11:43 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
Medical students at the start of their careers will join forces with some of New Zealand’s most senior doctors and dentists today to tackle challenges for the future medical workforce. More >>
Rheumatology workforce shortage needs to be addressed
Thursday, 31 March 2016, 12:06 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“A shortage of rheumatologists in New Zealand’s public hospitals means a number of patients who need expert treatment are struggling to get it,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). More >>
Extra mental health funding welcome
Tuesday, 22 March 2016, 9:36 am | ASMS
“News of extra funding for mental health services in Canterbury will be welcome news for the senior doctors and other health professionals struggling to meet the post-earthquake need there,” says Angela Belich, Deputy Executive Director of the ... More >>
Hypocritical political double standard over financial bungle
Wednesday, 9 March 2016, 10:56 am | ASMS
“How can the Ministry of Health’s mandarins hold out their caps for more money to refurbish their offices when the people of Greymouth are struggling to get enough funding to ensure their hospital is safe in an earthquake?” More >>
Too many unanswered questions on unmet needs
Monday, 7 March 2016, 2:48 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“There are far too many unanswered questions with the Government’s figures on unmet health need to have any confidence in them as an accurate reflection of what’s happening,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried ... More >>
Concern about decision to cut Canterbury hospital beds
Monday, 29 February 2016, 3:09 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“Senior doctors are seriously concerned that the Government is imposing a reduction in beds for Canterbury’s new hospital when Christchurch already has the lowest hospital admission rates in the country,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of ... More >>
Independent investigation needed into concerns raised
Saturday, 27 February 2016, 2:07 pm | ASMS
The Ministry of Health is doing the people of Canterbury a disservice by claiming that it is undertaking an independent investigation of a complaint against one of its senior officials by a senior doctor at Canterbury District Health Board, says ... More >>
Shameful struggle for mental health funding in Canterbury
Wednesday, 17 February 2016, 12:29 pm | ASMS
The Government needs to listen to the people of Canterbury and what the health professionals there are saying about the level of mental health need in the community, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). More >>
Decision to delay Grey Hospital rebuild questioned
Thursday, 4 February 2016, 1:14 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
West Coast senior doctors want to know why the Grey Hospital rebuild is being delayed because of a relatively small budget over-run due to previously undetected earthquake vulnerability, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried ... More >>
TPPA Impact on Health a Significant Concern
Wednesday, 3 February 2016, 12:47 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“It’s very disappointing that the Government continues to press ahead with the flawed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) despite significant concerns raised by senior health professionals and many others,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director ... More >>
Government returning to failed market approach to health
Monday, 18 January 2016, 10:10 am | ASMS
“The Government appears to be sidling back to a market-drive approach to the provision of public hospital services,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). More >>
Public hospital workers bear brunt of financial belt-tighten
Monday, 11 January 2016, 11:17 am | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“Public hospital staff are clearly bearing the brunt of the Government’s belt-tightening in the health sector,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). More >>
Increasing challenge to provide psychiatric care in old age
Monday, 21 December 2015, 12:43 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
The specialist doctors providing psychiatric treatment for elderly people are struggling to keep up with demand as the population ages, says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) More >>
The case for specifying minimum staffing levels
Friday, 18 December 2015, 11:40 am | ASMS
“There’s a good argument for specifying minimum staffing levels in public hospital departments and services, even – or perhaps, especially - during times of financial constraint,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried ... More >>
Hospital specialist shortage grimmer than figures suggest
Monday, 14 December 2015, 12:01 pm | Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
“The information released today is more confirmation of serious doctor shortages in our public hospitals – but the situation is even grimmer than these latest figures suggest,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical ... More >>
