The Prime Minister last night defended her husband for having a hernia operation in an Auckland private hospital.
She said he did not really have any choice after the public system failed to respond to letters from his doctor.
Helen Clark said Peter Davis, public health professor at the Christchurch Medical School, had his first hernia operation in 1991 in a public hospital.
He had gone back to his doctor about three years ago after having trouble standing for long periods.
But, to the best of her knowledge, letters to the public hospital system did not draw any response.
"If it was a constituent who came to me with that tale, my office would be on the phone wanting to know where that person was in the queue.
"We can't do that for ourselves," Helen Clark said.
"In the end, because it was restricting his activity, we simply decided the best thing to do was to pay.
"The point I would make is, yes, we could afford that.
"But the problem is that most people can't, and that's why the public health system needs improving."
PM: health system let my man down
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