Health Minister Dismisses Leaked Memo

Health Minister Bill English today dismissed a leaked memo from the Health Funding Authority about the Hospital Plan, saying it represented the view of an official and not the Government.

"People should not be alarmed at the memo. It represents the view of an official and does not make sense. The population figure of 75,000 in particular has never been suggested to or considered by the Government.

"We cannot view elective surgery in isolation. It is one part of the equation in developing the Hospital Plan, but decisions about where we have hospital services will be based on sensible clinical decisions and access to acute care, not a series of cuts designed to fit a budget.

"The Government is doing a whole lot of work on the development of the plan. It is about ensuring the availability of health services for all communities.

"The people who run our hospitals have been looking for the development of a plan because they know how important it is to give people certainty about what services they can expect. It is also important to give a sense of direction to the people who are working hard to provide health services for New Zealanders," said Mr English.