United Future
Marc Alexander

Alexander slams DHB ‘bovver boy’ tactics on aged care sector

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Alexander tacked Associate Health Minister Pete Hodgson on the issue, asking if he thought the delay was acceptable "given the crippled state of the (aged care) sector"?

He later said it was wrong for the DHBs to try to extract various new compromises, deals and work practices for the "already minimal figure of 3 percent".

Mr Alexander, United Future’s senior citizens spokesman, asked how the Government hoped to deliver pay parity for residential care nurses with their counterparts in other areas with a 3 percent funding increase

He challenged the Government to respond to Presbyterian Support Services Otago chief executive Gillian Bremner who has called for a $200 million injection into the aged care sector.