Dr Marcus Lee: Northland cardiologist on the petition calling for politicians to give up private healthcare

There's growing calls for politicians and their families to give up private healthcare when making decisions for the country. 

A letter signed by health workers argues MPs should rely on the public EDs, waitlists and services used by everyone else. 

Spokesperson Doctor Marcus Lee says health workers are frustrated with the public system. 

The Northland cardiologist says it comes down to accountability and integrity - and means politicians will have skin in the game. 

"It's personal for us, it's personal for lots of Kiwis - they make policy decisions that impact a lot of people in New Zealand. So it is personal."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now there are calls for all MP's and their families
to give up private health insurance while they're in office
so that they have skin in the game when they're
making decisions about the public health system. Doctor Marcus Lee
is the spokesperson for the group of doctors calling for this,
and it's with us.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hey, Marcus God, how are you going? Heather? Very well?

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Thank you? Are you guy serious about this?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yes, we are. We're absolutely serious. We want our politicians
to show some accountability in the disease that they make.
They want some integrity and we want them to show
that they have got some skin in the game.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Okay, well what about the kids though, I mean, does
it really have to affect the MP's kids.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, it's personal for us, it's personal for a lot
of Kiwis. You know, they make policy decisions that affect
a lot of people in New Zealand. Sure, so it
is personal.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Have any of the MP's actually committed to doing this?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Not my knowledge?

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Nor have you got private health care?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
No? I do not. Why not kind of ford it?
We've had I've got previous medical issues, so I kind
of thought it.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah, Well, this is actually the part of the problem,
isn't it like there will be some MPs now who
have medical issues, and if they give up their private
health care for the sake of appeasing some people, they
may never be able to get it again. Is it
worth it?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, they don't have to give it up. They just
have to wave their rights to private health care, that's all.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's so they keep on paying for it. But then
then they only exclusively use the public health system.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yeah. I think that that means that they actually have
some skin in the game, isn't it? Like Simon Brown
says he doesn't have private insurance and I respect him
for that, so he should just say make it policy.
Now you know he's got nothing. There's no barrier to it. Enough.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Okay, what is what has brought this on for you? Guys?
What is it that's frustrated you to the point that
you've decided to launch this open letter.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
We're just frustrated and tire with pasions still with long,
long times to be seen. We have severe stuffing pressures
in our hospitals. We're about to close I think Pulper Hospital,
isn't it. And there's a growing delease and kind of
get specialist level care.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
Okay, Marcus, thanks very much appreciate it. Marcus Marcus Lee
doctor Marcus Lee, Northland cardiologist, spokesperson for Open Letter.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
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