Electives crisis continues in Auckland

new-zealand-national-party

Mon Sep 04 2006 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Electives crisis continues in Auckland

Monday, 4 September 2006, 9:54 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Hon Tony Ryall
National Party Health Spokesman

3 September 2006

Latest figures show the chance of getting elective surgery in an Auckland hospital is worse now than six years ago, says National’s Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.

“Despite huge population growth in Auckland over the past six years, fewer and fewer Aucklanders are getting elective surgery. It’s a sad pattern repeated all around the country,” says Mr Ryall.

“There’s 160,000 extra people with less chance they’ll get that operation they need.”

Figures from the Ministry of Health show that just 13,085 patients received elective surgery at Auckland DHB in the past year, compared to 14,003 in 2000/01.

At Counties Manukau, just 8,986 patients received elective surgery in the past year, compared with 10,666 in 2004/05. In 2000/01 the total was 9,835.

And at Waitemata DHB, just 5,722 patients received elective surgery in the past year, compared with 6,337 in 2004/05. In 2000/01 the total was 5,905.

In total, 11 of the country’s 21 DHBs carried out fewer elective operations this year then last year.

"There's a human price to this crisis, and the Government should start caring about the patients suffering at home,” says Mr Ryall.

“Despite billions of dollars extra, the Government has failed to make any real inroads into boosting elective surgery over the past six years.

“Thousands of patients around the country have been culled from waiting lists, only to find they need to get even sicker to get an operation.

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“Skimping on electives is false economy. The consequence of neglected elective surgery is that patients often develop chronic conditions that end up costing a lot more to fix.

“Doctors have the skills and knowledge to make life enjoyable again for so many more people. But the Government can’t organise the health system to make this happen.

"National says elective surgery could be boosted by smart use of the private sector, greater involvement of specialists and GPs in decision-making, cuts to bureaucracy, and moving resources into services through a greater focus on value for money.”

ENDS

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