工党卫生事务发言人茹斯∙戴森（Hon Ruth Dyson）: 一些令人忧心的迹象显示国家党今年准备上涨人们看家庭医生的费用。
工党医疗卫生事务发言人茹斯∙戴森说：“去年卫生部长托尼∙雷尔吩咐初级医疗卫生组织要省下2500万纽元经费，为了达到这个目的，看样子卫生部长要准备就此上调家庭医生的收费了。”
大多数人都还记得托尼∙雷尔同约翰∙基总理在某次新闻发布会上表示，人们没把家庭医生诊费的高低当作多么要紧的大事，说‘市场压力’才是调控医生收费的最好途径。他们还说，要是大家不满意家庭医生的收费标准，大可以另寻高明换一个医生。
国家党在涉及医疗卫生议题上的作为一再显示出他们和民生、和现实是脱节的。去年他们才刚通过决议把家庭医生的收费上涨了6.5%, 眼下可能又要通过新动作把就诊费用再次上调。
家庭医生和护士们是关键的一线服务人员，将民众看病费用保持在一个普通人负担得起的水准，是政府应当做到的最起码的事。
为了节省开支而调高家庭医生看诊费，是国家党的又一个短视行为。
上调家庭医生诊费最直接的后果，就是使人们转而一股脑涌到国立医院急诊部门去，这和之前ACC拒收的病患转投化验室去是一样的结果----长远看来，这样做丝毫没有为纳税人省下什么钱。
维持家庭医生诊费在一个人们付得起的水准，实际上减轻了大医院的负担，这才是真正的节流之道。
卫生部长一再说他要把减少后勤人员、充实一线服务力量，对此表态我相当怀疑---因为至今我们不但没看到官僚的减少，反倒多出一个国家医疗董事局，同时裁减了不少一线服务设施。更有甚者，现在他们开始讨论的在公立医院的服务收费要开始不同，也加深了我们对本国民众未来是否负担得起看病费用的忧虑。
27 January 2010 Media Statement
Hon Ruth Dyson
Health Spokesperson
National set to raise GP fees?
Worrying reports that National is set to increase GP fees this year are beginning to emerge, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
“Last year Health Minister Tony Ryall told Primary Health Organisation to save $25 million, and to achieve this it appears the Minister is preparing to raise GP fees,” Ruth Dyson said.
“Most people remember when Tony Ryall and John Key told a press conference that people didn’t have GP fees as their top of mind issue and that ‘market forces’ were the best way to set doctors fees and if people didn’t like it they could always go down the road or change doctors.
“National has repeatedly shown that it is seriously out of touch when it comes to primary health care. Last year they signed off on a 6.5 percent GP fee increase and now they are likely to sign off on another.
“The GPs and practice nurses are critical frontline services and it is essential that fees be kept at accessible levels.
“Raising GP fees as a way of saving money is yet another short-sighted move from the National Government.
“Increased GP fees will simply drive people through the doors of the National Emergency Departments, just like dumping people off ACC’s books left the health sector to pick up the tab. In the long run there is virtually no financial savings for the taxpayers.
“Having accessible primary health care actually helps to keep people out of hospital and that is where the real savings are.
“Tony Ryall has repeatedly claimed that he is committed to moving backroom services to the frontline. However, I strongly suspect the Minister has no idea what this actually means because so far rather than seeing less bureaucracy we have seen a new National Health Board established and swathes of frontline health services cut, not to mention beginning discussions about charging for some services delivered in public hospitals.
“I am deeply concerned that the changes being proposed in primary health care and hospital care by the National Government will make health services less accessible for people without the financial resources to pay significant amounts for their health care,” Ruth Dyson said.
Contact: Ruth Dyson 027 446 1674
