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Ian Powell
Otaihanga Second Opinion is a regular health systems blog in New Zealand.
Ian Powell is the editor of the health systems blog 'Otaihanga Second Opinion.' He is also a columnist for New Zealand Doctor, occasional columnist for the Sunday Star Times, and contributor to the Victoria University hosted Democracy Project. For over 30 years , until December 2019, he was the Executive Director of Salaried Medical Salaried Medical Specialists, the union representing senior doctors and dentists in New Zealand.
Ian Powell - Latest News [Page 10]
Rip Cording Canterbury
Thursday, 17 September 2020, 4:21 pm | Ian Powell
In my over 30 years working in New Zealand’s health system I never came across the expression ‘rip cord’ even from the most pretentious jargonistic management consultants. However, it has now appeared on the lips and keyboards at the crisis ... More >>
Perspective Is Critical: Assessing And Improving NZ’s Covid-19 Performance
Friday, 11 September 2020, 5:25 am | Ian Powell
Comparing New Zealand’s elimination approach to the Covid-19 pandemic with the alternatives, the upsides overwhelmingly outweigh the downsides. However, there is much more our ‘liberal technocrat’ Government could be doing to better manage ... More >>
Perspective Is Critical: Assessing And Improving NZ’s Covid-19 Performance
Thursday, 10 September 2020, 4:37 pm | Ian Powell
Comparing NZ’s elimination approach to Covid-19 with the alternatives, the upsides overwhelmingly outweigh the downsides. However, there is more we could be doing to make our system more resilient. More >>
National’s Hospital Rebuild Commitment Lacks Rigour
Wednesday, 9 September 2020, 6:32 pm | Ian Powell
On the election hustings in Hastings current National Party leader Judith Collins committed a National led government to investing between $400 to $500 million in a much needed upgrade to Hawke’s Bay Hospital. The focus would be on the main building ... More >>
Correct Media Analysis Followed By Incorrect Conclusion
Tuesday, 8 September 2020, 4:39 pm | Ian Powell
On 5 September the only New Zealand owned national mainstream print and online media outlet Stuff published an editorial on the toxic relationship between the Ministry of Health and Canterbury District Health Board . As well as online it was also published ... More >>
Unravelling Truths In Canterbury District Health Board Leadership Meltdown Scandal
Monday, 24 August 2020, 6:56 pm | Ian Powell
The more debate continues over a scandal, the more inconvenient truths unravel. The meltdown of the executive leadership (senior management) team at Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is no exception to this truism. It is now clear that a decision ... More >>
New International Covid-19 Data Revealing
Saturday, 22 August 2020, 5:42 pm | Ian Powell
Since Covid-19 hit the shores of New Zealand in what seems an eternity ago I have faithfully accessed the World Health Organisation’s website for their daily country updates. This has been useful because you can see for each country the confirmed ... More >>
Funding Health Systems After Natural Disasters
Wednesday, 19 August 2020, 4:12 pm | Ian Powell
Had it not been for a fatally wrong political decision by former New Zealand Minister of Health Tony Ryall and the National led government over how best to fund the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) following the devastating Christchurch earthquake in ... More >>
Funding Health Systems After Natural Disasters
Tuesday, 18 August 2020, 2:57 pm | Ian Powell
Had it not been for a fatally wrong political decision by former New Zealand Minister of Health Tony Ryall and the National led government over how best to fund the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) following the devastating Christchurch earthquake in ... More >>
Cuba’s Fight Against Covid-19 Is Impressive, Even Compared To NZ’s
Wednesday, 22 July 2020, 7:06 pm | Ian Powell
Health commentator Ian Powell – formerly the Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists – visited Cuba earlier this year, learning about their health system, and says the country has now done extremely well in combating ... More >>
Was Woodhouse Patient Confidentiality Breach Complicity The Tipping Point For Muller’s Resignation?
Tuesday, 14 July 2020, 11:27 am | Ian Powell
Was the Woodhouse patient confidentiality breach complicity the tipping point for Muller’s resignation? This Tuesday morning’s shock resignation of Todd Muller after only 53 days as leader of the National Party following his successful but close ... More >>
Beware Babylon Tale
Tuesday, 7 July 2020, 11:47 am | Ian Powell
I recall in the early years of my employment as Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, a remarkably astute specialist (and also Chair of the NZ Medical Association at the time), Dr Alister Scott, telling me that specialists ... More >>
Ian Powell: Should DHBs Be The Providers Of Rest Home Care?
Friday, 19 June 2020, 11:16 am | Ian Powell
One of the valuable things about Health & Disability Commission (HDC) decisions (findings) is that interesting experiences are published in a readable manner from which much can be learned. Decisions are specific to their own distinctive circumstances. ... More >>
Ian Powell: Threat To The Right To Strike In DHBs?
Friday, 5 June 2020, 11:24 am | Ian Powell
The right of employees to strike is an internationally recognised employment right that has been a feature of New Zealand’s industrial relations system for over a century, albeit with different constraints and limitations at different times. Although ... More >>
Ian Powell: Let’s Not Over Glorify The Government’s Performance Fighting Covid-19
Saturday, 9 May 2020, 9:42 am | Ian Powell
In assessing the effectiveness of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 threat it is important to distinguish between responsiveness and preparedness. The better the former, the greater the likelihood of glossing over weaknesses in the latter. ... More >>
Vaccines And Antibiotics: Commodities Or Public Good?
Tuesday, 5 May 2020, 6:55 am | Ian Powell
The coronavirus crisis afflicting the planet raises the issue of vaccines as a commercial commodity made profitable through patents rather than a public good. As a family of genetically related viruses affecting respiratory systems, coronavirus is not ... More >>
Ian Powell: Eliminate Or Mitigate; Why Not Exterminate?
Tuesday, 14 April 2020, 8:14 am | Ian Powell
Should the approach towards Covid-19 be to eliminate (such as China and New Zealand) or mitigate (Sweden) this dangerous virus? This is the question that countries must consider. Professors Michael Baker and Nick Wilson (both public health specialists) ... More >>
The stakes are high in Resident Doctor and DHB dispute
Wednesday, 24 April 2019, 9:28 am | Ian Powell
The increasingly bitter and stressful dispute between resident (junior) doctors represented by their union the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) and the 20 district health boards (DHBs) is at a critical juncture. It is in the public interest for the Employment ... More >>
The Hospital And Community Dentistry Conference
Monday, 3 August 2009, 10:25 am | Ian Powell
Thank you for the opportunity to address you again. As always my comments are personal observations although in broad terms at least I believe they are consistent with the Association’s view on the matters discussed. My theme today is the need to ... More >>
