Dean Boddington is set to conclude his permanent role at Tauranga Hospital this Friday after a challenging tenure.
Photo: supplied by Dean Boddington
In a candid critique, esteemed cardiologist Dr. Dean Boddington, who is departing the hospital due to severe burnout, labeled Health New Zealand Commissioner Lester Levy as “living in La La Land,” asserting that he remains oblivious to the realities facing frontline medical professionals. This marks the end of Boddington’s service at Tauranga Hospital as he heads into retirement, having expressed his concerns about overwhelming workloads to Te Whatu Ora and various hospital management for the past year.
In an interview with RNZ’s Nine to Noon, Boddington detailed the mounting pressures he faced, revealing that he had raised alarms regarding his untenable workload over the past two and a half years. His worries were not met with the necessary changes, leaving him disillusioned with the systemic issues in healthcare delivery.
Boddington, an accomplished electrical cardiologist, held the crucial responsibility of conducting specialized procedures for heart arrhythmia patients in the Bay of Plenty. He also managed additional general cardiology duties, emphasizing that the demands of his work were far too great for a single physician. “It’s become untenable,” he said. “I’ve reiterated to management that this work requires at least two people.”
Expressing frustration, he lamented, “It’s really got to a terrible point… I also pointed out that I’m getting towards the end of my career,” highlighting his struggle to cope with the increasing demands placed upon him. Unfortunately, his calls for urgent intervention were met with consistent denial from the management, who stated, “there is no money, there will be no second person.” The escalating workload became too burdensome following the revelation that specialists would be expected to fill in for absent junior doctors in the emergency department, in addition to their existing responsibilities.
Boddington voiced his disappointment, noting, “The problem is the hospital no longer has enough junior doctors, so we, as specialists, are now being called upon to cover for them. This was the breaking point for me—I can’t take this anymore.” A fellow cardiologist from his department also recently retired, and although both had provided ample notice of their departures, neither position has been filled.
Cardiologist Dean Boddington
Photo: supplied by Dean Boddington
The replacement found for his role is not slated to begin until September 2025, leaving the cardiology team in a chaotic state. “That is severely hindering the ability of the department to function,” he emphasized, shedding light on a dire situation that has high-priority patients waiting up to six months for assessments, while those deemed low priority face an uncertain fate of possibly not being seen at all.
Boddington reiterated his stance on the ineffectiveness of Te Whatu Ora, declaring, “Health Commissioner Lester Levy is ‘living in La La Land’ and the organization has no grasp of on-the-ground realities.” He attributed the increasing focus on budgets to what he believes will “cripple the system” even further, stating, “The whole system relies on people overworking.” He anticipated that his resignation might be a catalyst for other doctors to follow suit, admitting that many of his colleagues had praised his decision, exclaiming envy at his ability to leave. “So many people have said to me good for you, you’re the lucky one and I wish I could do it,” he recounted.
Boddington plans to transition into private practice and is considering opportunities abroad while also committing to take on locum work at Tauranga Hospital to help with his specialized procedures until his successor arrives.
‘We are tired of covering for staff shortages’
In a poignant open letter published in the Bay of Plenty Times in September 2023, Boddington articulated his displeasure with the dismissive reactions to his well-founded concerns. He expressed frustration over a campaign seemingly aimed at discrediting medical specialists who dared to voice their grievances, often pointing out their perceived high salaries, which he insists are exaggerated. “It would probably require working around 60 hours a week to earn the top salary they have portrayed. We do not want to be working those hours. We are tired of covering for staff shortages. We also have families we would like to spend time with,” he asserted.
Boddington also commended former Health NZ leader Rob Campbell, who faced termination following politically charged remarks about the National Party’s Three Waters policy. He noted, “Sadly, he is no longer with Te Whatu Ora, probably because he tried to rock the boat of the bureaucrats.” In his candid remarks, Boddington recounted Campbell’s apology to healthcare workers, acknowledging failures on his part for being too accommodating to bureaucratic pressures.
He fiercely criticized Te Whatu Ora bureaucrats, stating they lacked “skin in the game” and instead relied on the commitment of health professionals to persist under increasingly challenging conditions. His blame extended to successive governments, Te Whatu Ora, and the Ministry of Health, declaring all had played a role in the immense strain now placed on the healthcare system. Subsequently, RNZ has reached out to Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health for their perspective on these pressing issues.
