Health Minister accuses Opposition of focusing on gossip rather than data at the GHA

The Minister for Health and care has defended the statistics she provided on surgical cancellations, insisting they are factual and not "spin."

In a statement, Gemma Arias-Vasquez responds to the GSD's criticism over staff shortages at the GHA, inviting Joelle Ladislaus, to meet with her data team.

The Health Mininister sets out her key message:  

That the GHA nursing workforce has grown by 193 since 2011 - that's 50%.

Surgical cancellations have halved compared to previous years

And the GHA workforce plan is driven by data and not gossip.

On the Government's policy to prioritise the employment of Gibraltarians within the GHA, she explaines that vacancies are intentionally held to allow for integration, with the nursing programme at the university providing a direct pipeline into the local workforce. 

Furthermore, Gemma Arias-Vasquez points out that the Principal Information Analyst/Statistician ensures decisions are driven by accurate, real-time data. 

And in relation to nursing levels, she says the Government spent over #10million last year on temporary and bank staff to ensure full-service continuity and cover for any vacancies.

The Minister states that services have expanded over the past 14 years and that the scale of the increase in nursing staff significantly outpaces that growth. She adds, the GSD' suggestion that there was no action to built capacity is inaccurate and misleading. 

There is no understaffing, she says, and all clinical positions requested by the GHA during the budget have been accepted by the Government.