Censure tension at Hutt DHB

A Hutt Valley District Health Board member is adamant she is facing possible censure over her decision to speak publicly about the problems besetting Hutt Hospital’s maternity service.

Yet, DHB board chairman Andrew Blair has denied telling Prue Lamason her colleagues planned to reprimand her at a non-public meeting today, a claim Lamason has called ‘‘an absolute lie’’.

Lamason understood comments she made at a public meeting in Petone last Wednesday were perceived by some of her board colleagues as not being ‘‘in the best interests of the board’’ despite making it clear she was attending as a private citizen.

Since then, Blair was approached by board members who ‘‘raised questions’’ about Lamason’s comments. While he admitted discussing the matter with Lamason, Blair rejected he made any suggestion she would be formally reprimanded.

‘‘I undertook to clarify the situation with Prue directly. We had a conversation about the meeting but at no stage did I give her notice, or indication, that there was an intention to censure her,’’ Blair said.

Lamason said the claim censure was not mentioned was ‘‘completely not true’’ and that as a result of Monday’s conversation, she was advised to take a support person with her to today’s board-only meeting.

‘‘I am really, really disappointed . . . why would I consider getting a support person unless I had been told that these people wanted me to be censured? . . . and I will certainly have a support person there now because how can I trust him?

‘‘I am so stunned actually. stunned,’’ Lamason said.

Dissatisfaction about Lamason’s comments had not reached all board members, with deputy board chairman Wayne Guppy claiming he had no knowledge of it. ‘‘It is news to me.’’

Moving to censure Lamason appeared incongruent with DHB chief executive Fionnagh Dougan’s position on Tuesday when she said it would ‘‘never’’ be her approach ‘‘to block someone speaking as an individual’’.

Dougan made the declaration after being pressed about an email sent to hospital maternity unit staff ahead of last week’s meeting, reminding them that if

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Prue Lamason

‘‘Why would I consider getting a support person unless I had been told that these people wanted me to be censured?’’

they chose to attend, they would do so as private citizens. The message was triggered by a request from a senior midwifery staffer for clarity over hospital policy, Dougan claimed.

‘‘[This was] so that people who were attending understood they were speaking from a personal perspective and they were not there to represent the DHB.

‘‘It would never be my approach to block somebody speaking as an individual but where people are in a position where media might be present, and the public was present, we try to provide staff with advice,’’ Dougan said.

Concerning stories about inadequate staffing and resourcing emerged from the meeting but Dougan claimed she was not disappointed the problems were aired.

‘‘I am disappointed that there is residual concern and a perception that we are not trying to address the issues.

‘‘That is what concerns me. Otherwise, I think, like any public forum, people are entitled to share their views.’’

Dougan did not attend last week’s public meeting as she believed it was a forum for the community to raise issues directly with Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter.

‘‘I think it is really important people are allowed to have free and frank dialogue and for me to be there as the chief executive was not deemed to be appropriate,’’ Dougan said.