Health Dollars Shifting for Early Intervention

Health Minister Bill English said today that health dollars were being shifted into areas where early intervention on health problems could improve the health of the community.

"We have worked hard in recent years to shift the dollars to nurses providing home support, Maori health groups, GPs, rural community trusts and other independent service providers. These are the groups working in areas where early intervention on health problems could improve the health of the community and who are now getting a greater share of Government health dollars.

"Spending on home support services, which is about supporting people in their own homes rather than putting them into institutions, has increased from $16 million to more than $72 million in just three years.

"The latest figures for spending on services provided by Maori groups show that in one year spending increased 20 percent to $40 million in 1996/97.

"Some of our worst health statistics are in the areas of Maori and Pacific health and the health of our children. In many cases shifting money does involve traditional providers, like hospitals, giving over some of their territory to people who are closer to the problem and who can do a better job.

"A good example of this is on the East Coast, where the Ngati Porou Hauora Board has recently won the right to provide all community-based services to local people. These were services previously provided by the public hospital in Gisborne. Ngati Porou Hauora want to use their knowledge of local health needs and local ways of doing things to improve the health of one of the poorest communities in the country.

"Another example is WestKids, in Auckland, where community groups are working together with health providers, including the public hospitals, to improve services for children. This is an excellent example of a service that has already been successful in keeping children with urgent and chronic health problems out of hospital by working with families. That is good for the child, good for the family and a health service the community can be proud of.

"We must not forget that total health spending is increasing and public hospitals are getting more money every year. In the last five years the amount spent on public hospitals has increased by over $300 million.

"I make no apologies, however, that there has been a greater increase in the proportion going into primary or community-based areas.

"If we want to do something to improve the large disparaties in health status between different groups of New Zealanders then we must change our traditional ways of providing health services.

"If the balance of health spending was to revert back in favour of the public hospitals then we would have to take money away from these community-based groups and away from policies such as the free doctor visits for under-sixes. People who want more spent on hospitals should tell me which areas should have money taken away," said Mr English.