Great news for Health Minister Simeon Brown and medical unions! There is a way to save money while paying hospital doctors and nurses what they’re worth.
General Practitioners Aotearoa (GPA) has proposed a solution to the impasse between the government, and the doctors and nurses taking part in this week’s “mega strike”.
“It’s simple, really,” says GPA chair Dr Buzz Burrell. “Hospitals wouldn’t be overrun if the GP system were properly funded.”
Research shows that every $1 of government money spent on the primary healthcare system saves $10 down the line in the hospital system.
“So by those maths I’ve got a cheque Minister Brown can sign for $100 million that’s going to put a billion in the Ministry of Health’s pocket,” Burrell says.
“That will go a long way to paying those doctors and nurses, especially when their workload decreases as fewer people turn up to hospital with preventable illnesses.”
Most general practitioner clinics in New Zealand are privately owned, and rely on a combination of patient fees and the outdated “capitation” government funding system to keep their doors open.
General Practitioners Aotearoa believes all medical workers should be paid fairly, and work in safe conditions.
