Luke Bradford: Royal College of GPs Medical Director on the growing difficulty in accessing healthcare

A review confirms better access to care should be a key priority. 

Health New Zealand's released a Clinical Quality and Safety Review using data from the past decade. 

It reveals the number of people waiting more than four months to see a specialist tripled between 2020 and 2023.  

Royal College of GPs Medical Director Luke Bradford told Mike Hosking fewer people are also choosing not to access care, especially since Covid. 

He's concerned there's been a drop off in immunisations and cancer screenings. 

However, there is a belief the quality of care is getting better despite taking longer to access it.  

Bradford says there's been a decrease in surgical complications and better experiences had by patients in the system. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have for you this Friday morning, yet another review
of the health system. It is the Clinical Quality and
Safety Reviewed Longitudinal Data Report. Now this examines quality and safety,
patient experience and harms data over the past decade. The
Royal New Zealand College of GP's medical director, Luke Bradford
has will us look very good morning to you, Mike.
From my first glance, we seem to be doing okay.

(00:20):
Is that fear?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah? I think there are some positive things in here.
Once people actually can access care, and we're seeing decrease
surgical complications, decreased fools, and better experiences had by patients
once they're in the system.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
How much are we doing not to help ourselves? I
knowe there's the increasing population issue, and I know there's
the increasing chronic disease issue, some of which falls on us, doesn't.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Half the population thing is obviously government controlled, the chronic
disease somewhat. Some of it is just that because we
live longer, If you live longer, you're going to get
more illnesses in general. The other thing that is in
there which is interesting is we're seeing less people choose
to access care, especially since COVID real drop off in
ends a real drop off in cancer screening, and I

(01:05):
think that speaks to a lack of trust in the
system which is concerned.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Do you know that? How do you know that? Why
would I not come for a scan or a screen?
I mean, would it be partly? I would argue because
I think why would I bother? Because I know I'll
never get access to it because the cues a mile long?
Is there that not? Something like that to it?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
It may be maybe some self filling prophecy there in
them sort of. You know, if you hear all the
time that the system doesn't work, you just choose not
to engage in it. It's really important to say with
the cancer screening, if you do get picked up with
something you are seeing quickly.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah. See that's my assessment. For Get this report for
a moment. This is my assessment of the public health service.
If you need it badly, like really badly, it's there
for you if you want to doabble around the edges
and things that you think would be nice if we could,
but we can't. That's where it fails, is that fear
or not.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
I think it's what you'd define as badly. So we're
pretty good at urging cancer that can be managed. But
some of the stuff that causes really severe pain disability,
especially around the arthritis, is they're not getting seen.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
And let's before you get to the regional aspect of it,
which I'm assuming is just as bad as it depends
on where you are.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Basically, Yeah, yeah, there is still some of that.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Do you hold out hope because here's my other observation
of public health services around the world, especially in the
Western world. They will never meet what we want and
there will always be just a level right, all the
reports you want, there will just always be a level
of disappointment.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Yeah. I mean, it's human nature to want the very
best for you and your loved ones in terms of health,
isn't it? And it is. We can do more and more,
and it's skidding harder and harder to supply the population
for that.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Do you think within our means we are doing okay?
And does this report confirm that?

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Ah? I still think there's problems with access, and I
think that's really clear. If you're being referred, you're being
referred to something matters, and you're not being seen for
up to a year, same for operations, and if you
can't get in and see a GP in a first place,
then that is a problem. We can improve those good stuff.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Louke, appreciate your time. Luke Bradford, who's the Royal New
Zealand College of General Practitioners Medical Officer. I went to
see the doctor yesday. In fact, I went to see
the nurse. And I've had no problem getting to a nurse,
and I've had no problem getting to a doctor. And
I had myself yesterday. I believe it was the first
time ever an ECG and that's It's not as exciting
as it sounds. But I just don't get I've never
had problems getting to a doctor and ringing a doctor,

(03:22):
making an appointment with the doctor. Yes, the doctor's away. Yes,
I've had to change doctors. Yes, doctors only seem to
work two or three days a week. But I've never
actually had problem getting to a doctor. So I don't
experience this. I can't see a doctor. For more from
the my Casking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. It'd
be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.