Sep 24 - Government Says GHA Is Now Stronger Than Ever
The Government has said that it is quite incredible that after the GSD had sixteen years in which to tackle the issue of appointments at the primary care centre, the Opposition should have the “audacity” to criticise this Government and the GHA over the very precise issue that they failed to resolve. Number Six adds that the GSD also choose to ignore the fact that the system has already improved considerably over the past two years from what was there before.
A statement from the Government continues: “Having said that, it is true that no system is perfect and that there is always room for improvement, which is what the GHA continuously works towards. The influx at the end of summer is a regular event. The situation will improve in coming weeks, and will result in better treatment and care.
“The Opposition is choosing one issue in order to try to bring down the good name of the GHA and all its excellent staff. Conveniently they now fail to note over 1000 more operations a year, or the massive reduction in waiting times and cancellations or the many other improvements in the health service that we have seen of late. The Opposition doesn't care about real progress, only about disruption and undermining the health service and its hard working staff.”
The Minister for Health, Dr John Cortes, commented: "The suggestion that I am not aware of what's happening on the ground would be amusing if it were not meant with such political mischief. I regularly go to the Primary Care Centre and talk to staff and patients, there and elsewhere. No GSD Minister ever did that. They had no clue of what mattered to real people 'on the ground'. I discuss all issues with the affected staff and work with them to find solutions. In the past week alone I have met with various staff groups at Primary Care to talk about introducing further improvements, including a revision of the booking system. The GSD days of detached Ministers who don't talk to anyone finished four years ago, as anyone who knows me and how I work well knows. For many months the appointment system has been working well. The Opposition did not issue press releases in all the time that the queues were over in 20 minutes. Now they try to make a meal of a short‐term issue, which was worse in their day, and deliberately try to undermine people's confidence in our excellent health service. How sad. I welcome that the last Opposition spokesperson on health has realised what a good job we are doing and has joined the GHA to work positively for Gibraltar and the health of its citizens. Just that shows that morale at the GHA is better than under the GSD!"
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