Real Savings Needed In Health Budget To Ease Pressure On GP Fees, Dunedin Hospital

The twin threats of GP fee hikes and the downscaled Dunedin hospital project ought to put steel into the Government's efforts to find savings and interrogate the business case for the proposed $380 million Waikato medical school, says ACT Health spokesperson Todd Stephenson.

"In Auckland we have 97 percent of GPs hiking or planning to hike fees, a move that could discourage a patient from making a trip to the doctor that could save the health system thousands of dollars down the line. Meanwhile in Southland and Otago, communities have marched en masse over fears the Dunedin hospital upgrade won't be big enough to meet the regions' needs.

"It's a matter of record that ACT campaigned to increase GP funding by 13 percent in last year's election. And we share concerns about health service needs across Otago and Southland, particularly in the high population growth area of Central Otago.

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"The common theme here is that the Government needs to find far more money in the couch cushions to deliver the medical care Kiwis need. ACT doesn't support taking more money from struggling households, so we need find savings, including in the health budget.

"Prior to the election, we expressed that we weren't convinced that establishing a whole new medical school in Hamilton is a better option than expanding the two we already have in Auckland and Dunedin, which have both said they can train more doctors. The work on the proposal done to date has not changed our view. You have to ask, if it doesn't stack up, and other areas are screaming out for funding, why are we doing it?"

Mr Stephenson will meet with Mayors of Dunedin, Invercargill, and Waitaki outside Parliament at 12:30pm today to hear their concerns over possible reduced capacity in the Dunedin hospital project.

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