Staff ‘forced’ to sign leak statement

SENIOR managers at the Ministry of Health have been forced to sign statements swearing they did not leak controversial proposals to take powers away from elected district health boards.

Labour has described dissatisfaction levels at the ministry as ‘‘unprecedented’’, following news of the signed statements.

In July, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman was forced to allay fears the Government was planning to overhaul the entire governance and funding structures of DHBs, after two sections of a high-level report were leaked detailing major proposals for change.

Radio NZ said a number of staff working on the two documents that were leaked to the station were told to put in writing a confirmation they had ‘‘acted appropriately’’ in ensuring the security of the documents while working on them.

Work on the health strategy and DHB changes had now been given to external consultants from overseas, it reported.

Acting Labour leader Annette King said the level of leaking and dissatisfaction at the ministry was ‘‘unprecedented’’.

‘‘I don’t recall this level of dissatisfaction, this level of leaking – and not only within the ministry but down into the DHBs where there is a lot of dissatisfaction at the direction of travel,’’ she said.

The former health minister didn’t deny there was leaking in her time at the helm but said relationships had broken down more than ever before. ‘‘Something is rotten in the state of the Ministry of Health.’’

King had requested through the Official Information Act evidence of staff being forced to sign affidavits saying they had not leaked information, but she was told there wasn’t any.

‘‘It wasn’t an affidavit they were being asked to sign, it was some sort of paper saying they hadn’t leaked.

‘‘When you have bullying and people who feel undermined, then you get leaks,’’ she said.

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Ian Powell said the ministry’s response was unheard of. ‘‘Unnecessary secrecy’’ around the proposals, which had not included any rationale for the changes, may have led to the leaks due to fears they were a ‘‘done deal’’.

The ministry said the signing of confidentiality forms was done case by case.