Hon Ruth Dyson
16 August 2009 Media Statement
Health cuts and more bureaucracy – broken election promises from Ryall
Health Minister Tony Ryall was today big on rhetoric but refused to give New Zealanders the assurance they want that there would be no further cuts to health services Labour’s Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
“Gutting the Ministry of Health and the creation of a National Health Board will do nothing but create a new level of bureaucracy.
“Tony Ryall loves to make big claims about bureaucracy but in reality, less than 2 percent of the health budget is put in to the Ministry of Health and the increase in administration he refers to at DHBs includes, ward clerks and other staff put in place to free doctors and nurses up to deliver health services to patients.
“Does the Minster really want doctors and nurses answering phones and making appointments when they should be seeing patients?
“Plans to be released by the Health Minister today will not only make recommendations about establishing a new national health body, they dangerously point to a rationing of frontline health services.
“Mothers, the elderly and others not in paid employment should be extremely worried by any suggestion of rationing health care to those in paid work.
“Since becoming Minister of Health Tony Ryall has allowed Whanganui, South Canterbury, Southland, Otago, Taranaki, and MidCentral DHBs to signal cuts to patient services.
“These cuts in regional areas are in addition to those Tony Ryall has himself made, to mental health funding, the nationally funded ‘Let’s Get Checked diabetes programme’, tobacco control programmes and cardiovascular programmes.
“National has been quietly cutting frontline health services since coming to office eight months ago and there is much more to come.
“The National Government is attempting to soften the New Zealand public up for rationed hospital level healthcare available only to those able to travel to main centres.
“None of the recommendations such as rationing health care and creating a new National Health Board are about improving health care for New Zealanders,” Dyson said.
Contact: Ruth Dyson 027 446 1674
