His comments follow claims by former Te Whatu Ora chairman Rob Campbell that it plans to lay off large numbers of administrative and managerial staff. Te Whatu Ora has to get the resources out of the backroom and onto the front line. "How is this going to improve ED wait times at Middlemore Hospital, or reduce surgical waiting lists in Counties Manukau?" Last month, Te Whatu Ora identified Middlemore Hospital's emergency department as one of eight "hotspots" needing extra support before winter flu season. "Why wasn't this seen as urgent when Te Whatu Ora came into effect on July 1 last year?
