Andrew Dickens: My thoughts on the state of the healthcare system

We ended last week with some hopeful noises from the health sector.  

Minister Simeon Brown was praised by academics and commentators for his increased funding for nurse practitioners, advanced training for nurses and increased training for doctors who come from overseas.  

He also announced an increase in the numbers of doctors we train here.  

Then, on Friday he announced the health plan which sees Lester Levy replaced by a board.  

Five targets were announced, all focusing on speedier healthcare and outcomes.  

And to chew through the waiting lists, the minister talked about utilising private facilities.  

At this point I think it’s important to think about where we are.  

Labour tried to reduce the DHBs from over twenty to four and the Māori health authority.  

Even though the right wing had been complaining about the inefficiency of too many boards for years, when a left-wing government does it it’s branded as a socialist central government takeover.  

After $50 million dollars was spent pursuing the four mega board we appear to be right back where we started.  

Except we’re not. Lester Levy has been cutting the workforce, and the workforce feels hollowed out.  

We have more funding than ever and yet it didn’t keep pace with inflation. 

And to cope with the waiting lists that have built up over the decade, patients are being directed to the private system. 

The upshot is that the public system is slowly withering. While it’s a good time to be a shareholder in a private health facility. 

 We seem to be heading towards a two-tier health system. One for those with money and one for those without. 

And increasingly if you don’t have health insurance, you’re playing a waiting game about who will see you first. St Peter or the surgeon. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We ended last week with some hopeful noises from the
health sector. I even said, oh, some good news is
finally Minister Simmy and Brown was praised by academics and
commentators for us increased funding for nurse practitioners, advanced training
for nurses and increased training for doctors who come from overseas.
He also announced an increase in the number of doctors
we train here and that On Friday he announced the
health Plan which sees Lester Levy replaced by a board

(00:22):
and five targets were announced, all focusing on speedier health
care and outcomes and to truth through the waiting list.
The minister started talking about utilizing private facilities. I think
at this point it's important to think about where we
came from and where we are. Labour tried to reduce
the DHBs from over twenty to forty and introduced a
Milordi Health Authority, even though the right wing had been

(00:43):
complaining about the inefficiency of too many boards for years.
When a left wing government does it, it's branded as
a socialist's central government takeover. So we decided to reverse
it and after fifty million dollars was spent pursuing the
four megaboards. We appear to be right back where we started,
except we are not right back where we started. Lester
Levy has been cutting the workforce, and the workforce complains

(01:05):
that the whole sector has been hollowed out. We have
more funding than ever. We're told that all the time,
particularly by the Prime Minister, and yet it did not
keep pace with inflation. And I'm talking about the last
twenty years, not just the last one. And to cope
with the waiting lists that are built up over the decades,
patients are now being directed to the private system. The
upshot is that the public system is slowly withering, very

(01:27):
slowly though, and it's a good time to be a
shareholder and a private health facility because you're getting the overflow.
We seem to be heading towards a two tier health system,
one for those with money and one for those without.
And increasingly, if you don't have health insurance, you're playing
a waiting game about who will see you first. So
Peter or the surgeon for more from Early edition with

(01:49):
Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks it be from
five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.