澳门六合彩app下载 find themselves 鈥榟ealth adjacent鈥 in today鈥檚 Budget announcements

21 April 2021

Category: Media releases

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鈥淣ot surprised鈥 but with 鈥済limmers of hope鈥 is how the President of 澳门六合彩app下载 has described her reaction to today鈥檚 Budget 2021.聽

There is no direct funding for general practice and primary health care, despite the majority of health happening in the community and the country鈥檚 general practitioners stepping up to defend New Zealand against COVID-19 on top of their regular health work.

鈥淥f course, I am disappointed that the ongoing issues with general practice and the health system, which we have well-documented and been vocal about, have not been addressed,鈥 says Dr Samantha Murton, President of the College, 鈥渂ut I am not surprised.鈥

Dr Samantha Murton

鈥淎s 澳门六合彩app下载 our core interest is in the health of their patients and I can see the health benefits for our communities in today鈥檚 spending announcements.

鈥淎n additional $200 million for PHARMAC to widen access to existing medicines and invest in new medicines will have benefits to our patients, as will an investment in more cochlear implants available to adults,鈥 she says.

The College is incredibly positive about an increase in spending for healthy homes because housing has such a crucial impact on people鈥檚 lives and has a significant impact on health.聽

鈥淲e are expecting to see something quite transformational from this housing spend,鈥 says Dr Murton.聽

An increase in benefit payments will also help deliver improvements in the nationwide health outcomes of New Zealand.聽

The spending on health in the next financial year is $24 billion yet none of that is directed towards primary health care.

鈥淲hile we鈥檙e pleased about the health benefits for the greater good it鈥檚 hard to get too excited knowing we are still working in a health system that鈥檚 broken, says Dr Murton.

鈥淚 look forward to a more ambitious Budget in 2022 and that really needs to address the clear, serious issues in the general practice sector before it鈥檚 too late,鈥 she says.