National set to raise GP fees?
new-zealand-labour-party
Wed Jan 27 2010 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
National set to raise GP fees?
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 12:15 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
27 January 2010
Media Statement
National set to raise GP fees?
Worrying reports that National is set to increase GP fees this year are beginning to emerge, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
“Last year Health Minister Tony Ryall told Primary Health Organisation to save $25 million, and to achieve this it appears the Minister is preparing to raise GP fees,” Ruth Dyson said.
“Most people remember when Tony Ryall and John Key told a press conference that people didn’t have GP fees as their top of mind issue and that ‘market forces’ were the best way to set doctors fees and if people didn’t like it they could always go down the road or change doctors.
“National has repeatedly shown that it is seriously out of touch when it comes to primary health care. Last year they signed off on a 6.5 percent GP fee increase and now they are likely to sign off on another.
“The GPs and practice nurses are critical frontline services and it is essential that fees be kept at accessible levels.
“Raising GP fees as a way of saving money is yet another short-sighted move from the National Government.
“Increased GP fees will simply drive people through the doors of the National Emergency Departments, just like dumping people off ACC’s books left the health sector to pick up the tab. In the long run there is virtually no financial savings for the taxpayers.
“Having accessible primary health care actually helps to keep people out of hospital and that is where the real savings are.
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“Tony Ryall has repeatedly claimed that he is committed to moving backroom services to the frontline. However, I strongly suspect the Minister has no idea what this actually means because so far rather than seeing less bureaucracy we have seen a new National Health Board established and swathes of frontline health services cut, not to mention beginning discussions about charging for some services delivered in public hospitals.
“I am deeply concerned that the changes being proposed in primary health care and hospital care by the National Government will make health services less accessible for people without the financial resources to pay significant amounts for their health care,” Ruth Dyson said.
Health Cuts since National came to office
February 2009
• Pies back on the menu in schools. Tolley reverses healthy food guidelines without consultation Sausage sizzles, pies and chocolate back at school NZ Herald 6/2/09
March 2009
• Taranaki DHB has publicly signalled that its hospital is preparing for cut backs. “Health Services get the knife” Taranaki Daily New 10/03/09
April 2009
• Southland and Otago DHBs have confirmed they are cutting home support services to reduce costs. The Boards were looking to make savings of up to $10 million by reducing home support services for elderly. Home support faces razor Southland Times 22/04/09
May 2009
• Cut anti obesity, oral health and mental health targets Health targets slimmed down Ministerial release 8/05/09
• National have taken $2.3 million out of cancer control. Budget 2009
• Slashed the diabetes ‘let’s get checked’ budget by $4.8 million each year. Budget 2009
• Cut $3 million from the cardiovascular disease budget. Budget 2009
• Mental Health services have also had their funding cut. Budget 2009
June 2009
• Whanganui DHB has said it will be closing hospital wards on weekends to save money on nursing overtime. “ Hospital looks to close wards at weekends” Wanganui Chronicle 26 /06/09
• Post budget Treasury documents show that primary health and health promotion services that target specific health conditions have had funding cuts of $37 million this year. http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2009
• Tony Ryall this year signed off on a 6.5 percent increase in GP fees the largest increase since fees came in. GPs get approval to raise fees by 6.5pc NZ Herald 03/06/09
• The Fruit in Schools programme which currently provides 100,000 children with fresh fruit each day is under threat. Fruit picked to go from schools Herald on Sunday 14/06/09
• Mid Central DHB makes cuts $10 million cuts Manawatu Standard
July 2009
• South Canterbury DHB has said it will be reducing the amount of patients seen in its Emergency Department by up to 5000 people a year. Timaru Hospital to cut services
• SCDHB has also signalled that it is looking to reduce the number of patients using radiology services. Timaru Hospital to cut services
• The DHB also confirmed that it would be axing up to 200 elective operations per year because of a cut in Government funding. Timaru Hospital to cut services
August 2009
• Cuts to elderly care in South Canterbury Rest home care limits annoy GP The Timaru Herald 30/07/09
• Sport fit coordinator jobs at risk as Govt redirects money from anti obesity programmes
• Senior Doctors question Ministerial Health Review Health Report: Fuddle, Muddle, Broken Election Promises and Privatisation, ASMS release 16/08/09
• Waikato DHB has frozen clinician jobs as well as admin Waikato DHB Bosses Freeze Senior Doctors Positions Despite Serious Shortages
• The Board agreed to a $20 million savings drive for the 2009/10 financial year in the hope of achieving at least a $10 million surplus. The exact list of targeted activities had not been made public because some of them may not be valid savings targets, Mr Climo said. Big cuts ahead at Waikato District Health Board Waikato Times 26/08/09
• Dunstan Hospital reduces community physio and disability home support Southland Times 17/08/09
• Dannevirke outpatients clinic cut Manawatu Standard
• Counties Manukau has cut funding to external contractors. The cuts include two Maori health programmes and Auckland University's $200,000-a-year evaluations of the board's five-year, $10 million scheme to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. NZ Herald
September 2009
• $2million cut in mental health servicesNelson Mental health funding on chopping block Nelson Mail
• Waitakere Hospital's emergency department is only open between 8am and 6.30pm and free A& E vouchers to White Cross are axed
October 2009
• Tairawhiti DHB announces it will stop surgery for an unprecedented 6 week period over Christmas and New Year to save money TDH services at risk
• Home support cuts for elderly in Canterbury. ‘Old man offers to wash his shower with his foot’ ChCh Press
November 2009
• ACC refuses to pay for wheelchair for Taranaki amputee who is told to go and ask the local DHB for funding Taranaki Daily News
• A total of 12.5 nursing positions chopped across the Palmerston North hospital's main surgical, medical and child health wards, neonates, coronary care, intensive care and the high dependency unit. Manawatu Standard
• Auckland DHB Board papers reveal Board may have to cut as much as 5%-10%. ADHB may have $150m less. Planning and Funding officer says when adjusted for inflation “the funding for next year is like to be less than this year” NZ Herald Big Health Cuts on the way
December 2009
• Survey shows spending down on GP visits, surgery and sports. Research commissioned by Southern Cross shows Results found the number of people who visited their GP when they felt unwell fell from 64 per cent in 2008 to 56 per cent this year. Also, the number of people actively participating in sports, going to the gym, and dieting for weight loss decreased significantly. NZ Herald 03/12/09
• Senior doctors voted overwhelmingly last Friday to focus on achieving a pathway to competitive terms and conditions of employment in our national collective agreement negotiations with district health boards next year in order to help overcome the detrimental effects of our medical workforce crisis ASMS release 06 /12/09
• Release of Cabinet Paper on ACC legislation confirms no analysis done bon impact of Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Bill changes for the Health system or the social welfare system – cost shifting surgery onto health.
January 2010
• Hospitals propose preferential treatment for those who can pay NZ Herald 25/01/10
• Mary Bourke DHB Board Member candid on ACC squeeze “So effectively, madam chair, what we are talking about here is that ACC is trying to cut down on its costs by shoving its responsibilities on to someone else?" Yes, came the answer. Taranaki Daily News 27/01/10
• Assessment cuts help for elderly. More than 1200 Canterbury elderly have had their home-help hours cut or reduced since a new assessment service began five months ago. ChCh Press 27/01/10
ENDS
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