Dr. Buzz Burrell: General Practice Aotearoa chair says $100million investment isn't enough

A rural doctor says the government's hospital investment is still not enough.

Health Minister Simeon Brown's announced a $100million boost for 21 local projects, aimed at improving clinical spaces and support services.

General Practice Aotearoa chair Dr Buzz Burrell told Mike Hosking that the investment will be only for touch ups.

He says there will only be $5million per project over two years, it's not going to be world changing.

Health New Zealand's also allocating $20million dollars to increasing frontline ED staff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
More money announced for our hospitals. This is not new money.
It was in the budget. We just find out where
exactly it's going. One hundred millions been set aside for upgrades.
There are twenty one projects, everything from new ed spaces,
trends at Lunge is extra parking. We also got twenty
million to boost front line staffing. Doctor Buzzburroll is the
rural hospital doctor and chair of the General Practice Group
and us with us. Buzz morning to Morty.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Mike always got to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
How are you very well? Indeed? Is it touch up
stuff as something transformational happening here or we just don't
know yet.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I think all of the above. I think it would
be wise for anybody to welcome any expenditure in health
and so it's got to be appreciated. However, Ye, right,
it is really very touch that's that one hundred million dollars.
I believe there's twenty one projects. That's five million per
project over two years. That's roughly a modest villa in

(00:49):
Mount Eden per project. It's not going to change the
face of the world. We'll certainly in the primary set
to What we're really looking forward to is that there's
a serious, serious investment in primary care as opposed to
touching up the secondary sector. Mindful, we're coming up to
an election, so of course investment primary care is not sexy.

(01:09):
Investment in secondary care is more Operations are much more
exciting than be a control of the blood pressure. So
that can understand why the announcement is made. But really
it's touch that stuff. You're absolutely right.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Part of what Luction's always argued is we've spend thirty
three billion dollars in health. Is there an argument there
at all that says that's enough. It's more about the
quality of the expenditure as it is about the amount.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
A bit of both. The quality is questionable. We seem
to be still top heavy investing in the secondary sector.
And it's an old formula now, but if you spend
a dollar in primary care, you save ten dollars in
the secondary sector. Somehow that investment always seems to be
lost with successive politicians, and I've seen that over the
last thirty years. But if we're spending that much, it's

(01:54):
still less than the OECD. We're number twenty one, I
believe in the OECD list of what we spend on
health compared to the twenty people above us. So even
though it seems like a lot of money, it's still
not enough, and it clearly is not enough. And certainly
even in the secondary sector, we've got I think last
year eighty odd thousand rejections from the secondary sector of

(02:15):
referrals from the primary sector because there was not capacity
to meet them, i e. People who need care are
not getting it, and don't forget that inverse care or
people who need care the most credit the least. And
we're a fantastic example of that in this country. That
needs to be reversed so that that is really billiant.
It's a not enough and b wrong descent.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
UZ appreciate your time, Doctor Buzzberyl Rural Hospital doctor, chair
of the General Practice Group.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
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