Luke Bradford: College of GPs Medical Director on the targets set for the healthcare system

The Health Minister is today set to provide more detail about how his five targets for the health system will be achieved. 

Minister Shane Reti has been briefed by officials on how the targets might be manipulated and advised on potential mitigations.  

College of GPs Medical Director Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking that without the tools to make the targets achievable, people look at other options.  

He says one of the ways to manage waiting lists is just to accept fewer people onto them, which isn't the idea of the target. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're going to get more detail today, apparently on the

(00:01):
government's health targets fiber unveiled back in March. If you remember,
they focused on cancer treatment, immunizations, eedy time, specialist appointments
and elective surgeries. Today is about how we do that,
how do we reach those goals? What's needed? Royal New
Zealand College of GP's medical director Luke Bradford with US
Morning Morning Mike, broadly speaking, what they're looking to do
the government on health. Do you get it? Does it

(00:21):
seem real? Is it achievable?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I do get it. It makes sense to have some targets
that people, especially if public, can relate to and the
system can work towards achievable. Yes, that we're a long
way off at the moment.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Do you shame Ritti's quoted this morning is saying he
can't guarantee these targets won't be gained by the sector.
I think the references there are people working against them.
Do you see that or feel that in your particular
area or not?

Speaker 2 (00:49):
No, No, I don't think it's that people are working
against them. I think it's that without the tools to
actually deliver and make them achievable, people look at other options.
So traditionally one of the ways you manage waiting list
is to just accept less people onto them. And actually
that's not what the idea of the target would be.

(01:11):
It would be that people who need see and are
seen in a reasonable time. But one way to do
it is to just take.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Less on how much of it's about money when you
talk about these tools, how much of it about straight
up and down hift of money versus the 's inefficiencies
in the system that we can tweak.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, there's definitely an efficiency look at the ED thing,
and there is some stuff around patient flow, but a
lot of that is actually on how do you get
patients out of possible once they've been there, especially into
a nursing home system, and how to stop them from
arriving in d in the first place. So getting them
seen in a timely way and looked after in general practice,
it's not all that needs investment. That there are efficiencies

(01:45):
too that can.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Happen, okay, And so how do you see it from
your side of the sector, the GP sector, And so
you see more people, you treat them earlier, they don't
get to ED. All of the seems to have been
jawboned for about a hundred years, and yet it doesn't
seem to be changing, is it.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
No? I mean, we've talked about it. The evidence is
really clear. It's global literature that if you look after people,
we have a continuity of care, a regular relationship where
you get far less admissions need for bed less people
needing operations. And we're like, but it's a big jump
to do it. People won't make that jump.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Do you think someone like Ritty being from the sector,
actually does get it, has a good intent or he
knows secretly that's part of the answer, but just can't
do it. What's your view?

Speaker 2 (02:33):
I think he knows it's part of the answer. He's
certainly he's a GP, he's lived and worked that, but
I think trying to move the system into making those
changes is difficult for him.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Are you optimistic?

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Good? All? Yeah? Yeah I am, because I actually think
there's some really good people working in the jobs and
doing their best for the patients and we're carry on
delivering there.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
All right, Look, appreciate it. Look Bradford down to the
Royal and New Zealand College of GPS.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
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