Dr Grant Davidson: Rural Healthcare Network Chief Executive on the Government's investment into urgent care

The Government’s announced $164 million will be spent on five new 24/7 urgent cares across the country.

Rural areas will have round the clock, on call support.

It means 98 percent of Kiwis will be within an hour from the nearest urgent care.

Chief Executive of Rural Healthcare Network Dr Grant Davidson talks to Mike Hosking about the investment.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
More pre budget noise from the government, this time one
hundred and sixty four million over the four years, which
will buy five new twenty four seven urgent healthcare services.
Have ninety eight percent of us within an hour of
urgent care, rural areas will get round the clock on
call support. The chief executive of Rural Healthcare Network, doctor
Grant Davidson's with us. Grant, Morning, morning, Mike. Make you happy.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah, we are happy that this is a FI priority
area for us. That's finely getting some attention, So that
is good.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Do we know what all this money buys? All we
ever get is numbers. We've got millions here and millions
over there. What's it buying? Is it value for money?
Does anyone know?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No, there's no detail released, and as we know, the
devil's always in the detail. So I've searched the documents
that are available, and all we can see is we're
going to get seventy improved rural urgent and after ours services.
And no idea how much of that forty one million
a year will go to rural compared to the urgent
care clinics and urban areas.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Glad you said that, because I looked for the same thing,
couldn't find it. So are we desperate for better service
in the rural communities of New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
We're absolutely desperate. The animal mortality rate and rural is
two times that of urban and that's one of the
key indicators. I guess minimal mortality is those deaths that
could be prevented by early intervention. So we've got a
major problem.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Reality versus theory. So if we all want a tertiary
hospital around the corner versus this is a small country
and it's difficult geographically. So let's be real. How far
short are we?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Oh we're a long way sure, but we're reality is
never going to get that. But what we do need
is if you want if you need urgent here in
a rural area, those rural people expect to drive, you know,
some distance, but then they need someone there who has
hands on and can help them. And that's what we're
hoping to get through improved funding for those clinics.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Big issue is the staff. Are you hopeful on that?
I mean, where do they come from? Overseas?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
On? Assuming over fifty percent of the rural gps, for example,
are internationally trained, that's right, So staffing there's a strange
comment in the press release going out that Health New
Zealand staffing has never been better. Well, you'd have to
ask that than that, but in terms of primary care

(02:26):
it's never been worse. So staffing isn't issue.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Okay, Grunt, appreciate it. Grant Davidson, who's the chief executive
Rural Health Network.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
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