Fewer people getting specialist health care

new-zealand-national-party

Tue May 22 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Fewer people getting specialist health care

Tuesday, 22 May 2007, 3:27 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Hon Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

22 May 2007

Fewer people are getting appointments with hospital specialists despite billions of dollars of extra health spending, says National's Health spokesman, Tony Ryall.

Answers to written questions show there were 28,000 fewer specialist appointments in 2006 than in 2001, the first calendar year for which records are available.

During that time the health budget increased 66% to more than $4billion.

"Despite all that extra money, fewer people are getting to see a specialist and fewer people are getting operations," says Mr Ryall.

"Fourteen out of the country's 21 DHBs are providing fewer specialist appointments than in 2001. The biggest falls are in Auckland (-11%), Capital Coast (-20%), Taranaki (-15%) and Whanganui (-23%).

"The biggest drop-off is with people wanting to see a specialist to qualify for elective surgery. The fact is that despite all the Labour Government's promises, it's harder to see a specialist and even harder to get an operation.

"Labour is making it harder to see a specialist so it can suppress hospital waiting lists.

"Patients will laugh at Pete Hodgson's claim that the country is so much healthier that people don't need more visits to specialists. Tens of thousands of people referred to specialists have been denied an appointment...ask any GP.

"What patients do care about is how many more of their tax dollars are going into health to buy more care, yet it's harder to get into the system."

ENDS

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