Waikato DHB suspends board member

KELLY HODEL/Waikato Times

CONTROVERSY: Waikato District Health Board member Dr Suresh Vatsyayann has been suspended.

Relevant offers

Health

Suing doctors a return to 'dark days', court told 5000 deaths after surgery each year - report Thousands die each year post surgery Swimming again after tumour removed PM backs plane flu scare response Whooping cough strikes baby Caring for these kids a job for life Medical errors cost ACC $7.6m Teens mimic depression to get prescription drugs Hospital heads dismiss DHB merger fears

A Waikato District Health Board member has been suspended for questioning the integrity of his fellow board members and DHB management, hospital bosses say.

Chairman Graeme Milne said today he asked Dr Suresh Vatsyayann to withdraw controversial comments he had made in an email earlier this month and apologise to the board and management.

It is understood the Hamilton GP, who runs his own private practice, sent out an email to board members where he questioned the integrity of members and DHB management. 

He is an elected member of the Waikato DHB board and a controversial figure who has regularly criticised the DHB and media, including posts in an online blog.

Mr Milne said Dr Vatsyayann had failed to respond to the request to withdraw the comments and had been suspended until an "appropriate apology" had been  received.

"The DHB is a billion dollar organisation with more than 5800 staff... Those people, the DHB staff, management and board members deserve to have board members with the highest professional and ethical standards.

"Dr Vatsyayann's behaviour was well below those standards."

Earlier this year Dr Vatsyayann was found guilty of producing false or misleading medical notes by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. He appealed the findings, which a judge upheld in August.

Dr Vatsyayann told Stuff.co.nz that he did not want to comment to the media directly, but would respond via his website, freegp.net.nz this evening.

- © Fairfax NZ News