Kerre Woodham: There are no new headlines in health

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a health system in possession of physically and mentally unwell people must be in want of billions (with apologies to Jane Austen). It is also a truth universally acknowledged that a health system can never have enough of those billions. Look at the $1.96 billion Labour invested into the mental health budget back in 2019. We now know some years later where exactly that money has gone, but whether it was a good investment or not, too soon to tell. It certainly hasn't fixed mental health or made it any easier for families to access mental health care for troubled teens and the like – and that was $1.96 billion chucked at the problem.  

And these headlines: “New Zealand needs 450 more ICU nurses”. When was that? That headline was from March 2023, but it could have been any year. Tell me that New Zealand doesn't need more nurses than any particular sphere of nursing. In November 2022: “GPs need a funding increase of 231% to be viable”. Again, that was three years ago. That was the GPs calling for the Labour Government please, we needed a 231% increase in our funding. 5000 nurses from New Zealand —or about 8% of the country's entire force— have registered to come and work in Australia. That was in April 2023. And on and on it goes.  

There is nothing new in health, no new headlines. No matter what government is in, they need more money, they need more staff, they need more frontline staff, they need more efficiency in the way things are done. And it's not just New Zealand, it is a worldwide problem. The health sector is a bottomless pit wanting more and more and more. I do remember a senior doctor many years ago, ringing me at nights on his way home from work and he said we in fact do have enough money, it's just where it gets spent. And I would probably believe that - you have to spend smarter, not just more.  

So the government has announced it will help bring 100 overseas trained doctors into the primary care workforce. Previously, they've only been able to do their training at hospitals and now if you want to be a GP, the GPs will be able to train you and that will count, and that is a very, very good move. There's also a $285 million performance-based boost in funding for GPs that's been announced. The new Health Minister, Simeon Brown, also said the government would begin work on a new 24/7 digital healthcare service that would allow Kiwis to better access online video consultations.  

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners President Samantha Murton told Mike Hosking that utilising more telehealth makes sense: 

“You cannot do everything online, but you can do a lot online and if I have patients, I talk to every week, I say to them, or every day, you know, let's do this consultation online because we’re just following up on results or they’ve got symptoms that are really easy to cover. But are you going to have a pharmacy open at 11 o’clock at night? Probably not.”  

Well, no, but you can pick it up tomorrow because you've got your prescription and off you go. It makes sense, doesn't it? There are already digital healthcare providers that are 24/7, that fit around when their patients are available not when the doctors are available. But so much of our health system wouldn't be needed if we all showed good sense. You know, if we were fit, and we were healthy, and we took care of ourselves, and were aware of any kind of triggers for mental health, and that sort of thing. If more common sense was employed then we wouldn't need the services of doctors. Green prescriptions are still there, which is great.  

It's all part of a continuum, so if GPs see more people, they don't present at ED, and the hospitals don't get clogged, and then you don’t need to concentrate on the aftercare as well, and then we have a system that works. Or will we ever? You lo

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Morning's podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd b I did want to start the day talking health.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a health system
and possession of physically and mentally unwell people must be
in want of billions. With apologies to Janelston, it is
also a truth universally acknowledged that a health system can

(00:30):
never have enough of those billions. Look at the one
point nine to six billion labour invested into the mental
health budget back in twenty nineteen. We now know some
years later where exactly that money has gone, but whether
it was a good investment or not too soon to tell.

(00:51):
It certainly hasn't fixed mental health or made it any
easier for families to access mental health care for troubled
teens and the like. And that was one point ninety
six billion dollars chucked at the problem. And these headlines

(01:12):
New Zealand needs four hundred and fifty more ICU nurses
When was that? That headline was from March twenty twenty three,
but it could have been any year. Tell me that
New Zealand doesn't need more nurses than any particular sphere
of nursing In November twenty twenty two, GPS need a

(01:39):
funding increase of two hundred and thirty one percent to
be viable again. That was three years ago. That was
the GP's calling for the Labor government. Please we need
a two hundred and thirty one percent increase in our funding.
Five thousand nurses from New Zealand are about eight percent
of the country's entire nurses registered to come and work

(02:04):
in Australia. That was in April twenty twenty three. On
and on it goes. There is nothing new and health,
no new headlines no matter what government is in. They
need more money, they need more staff, they need more
frontline staff, they need more efficiency in the way things

(02:25):
are done. And it's not just New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
It is a.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
World wide problem. The health sector is a bottomless pit
wanting more and more and more. I do remember a
senior doctors many many years ago, twenty odd years ago,
ringing me at nights on his way home from work,
and he said, were, in fact do have enough money,
it's just where it gets spent. And I would probably

(02:51):
believe that you have to spend smarter, not just more.
So the government has announced it will help bring one
hundred overseas trained doctors into the primary care workforce. Previously
they've only been able to do their training at hospitals
and now they can do their training. Like if you
want to be a GP, the GPS will be able

(03:11):
to train you and that will count and that is
a very very good move. There's also a two hundred
and eighty five million dollar performance based boost and funding
for GPS that's been announced. The new Health Minister Simme
and Brown also said the government would begin work on
a new twenty four seven digital healthcare service that would
allow Keywis to better access online video consultations. The Royal

(03:34):
New Zealand College of General Practitioners President Samantha Merton told
the mic Costing Breakfast utilizing more tallyhealth makes sense.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
You cannot do everything online, but you can do a
lot online. And if I have patients I talked to
every week, I say to them all every day, you know,
let's do this consultation online because you're just upsulnerable. They've
got symptoms that are really easy to cover. But are
you going to have a pharmacy open at eleven o'clock
at night? Probably not?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Well, no, but they can pick it up tomorrow because
you've got your prescription and off you go. So you know,
it makes sense, doesn't it. I mean, there are already
digital healthcare providers that are twenty four to seven that
fit around when their patients are available, not when the
doctors are available. But so so much of our health

(04:26):
system wouldn't be needed if we all showed good sense,
you know, if we were fit and we are healthy,
and we took care of ourselves and you know, we're
aware of any kind of triggers for mental health and
that sort of thing where if more common sense was employed,
than we wouldn't need the services of doctors. The green
prescriptions are still there, which is great. It's all part
of a continuum. So if gps see more people, they

(04:50):
don't present at ed and the hospitals don't get clogged,
and then we need to concentrate on the after care
as well, and then we have a system that works
or will we Ever you look at any health system
anywhere in the world. The problem is not the health system.
The problem is sick people. That's what the problem is.

(05:12):
And people who want to stay they want the health
system to fix them rather than take any kind of
responsibility there are people who get terrible diseases and they
want to be cured because to a certain extent, the
health system is a victim of its own good marketing.

(05:32):
Get sick, we can fix you. I mean, where do
we even begin? So much of it, and it comes
back to so much of what we talk about over
so many topics comes back to responsibility. Doesn't it your
own individual responsibility for your own health. You can't spend

(05:53):
a lifetime abusing your body and then going to a
doctor or a health system and saying fix me, fix me,
and one fifteen minute appointment after a lifetime, an adult
lifetime of abuse, fix me, I've suddenly decided I want
to live well, Well, you know it's on you. There

(06:17):
are things beyond our control. Accidents happen, horrible, pernicious diseases
appear out of nowhere, And that's what the hell system
should be for, not for people who could prevent a
lot of what is putting them into hospital or what

(06:38):
a lot of people are presenting to the GP with.
I'd love to know from GPS how many people who
turn up could actually fix themselves or could have fixed
themselves before they'd presented.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
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