‘Health care for everyone’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 10

‘Health care for everyone’

The reconstructed, health care for New Zealanders envisaged ini the White Paper should be implemented by April; 1, 1978, the Minister of' Health (Mr McGuigan); told the annual meeting! of the Canterbury Aged, People’s Welfare Coun-' cil in Christchurch yes-, terday. I The White Paper on health! proposed a New Zealand' i Health Authority that would ; ;supersede the Heath Depart-: Intent, and delegate virtually! jail operational responsibilities. Ito 14 regional health authorities made up of locallyelected and appointed members. Mr McGuigan said. The regional authorities .would in turn co-ordinate! with voluntary agencies, and I there would be a regular liai-j I son between local representa-1

, tives and the Minister of Health, and New Zealand I Health Authority officials, at I least every' quarter. > The new system would I eliminate existing areas of : duplication of services, and I fill gaps that existed between j one service and another. ! A comprehensive health I service would not merely be I a “sickness service” but I would provide for the prevenI tion of disease, the promotion iof good health and the rehabilitation of those with dislabilities.

In particular it would encourage independence and self-care in those who were ageing, or handicapped, and would include everyone.

However, although the White Paper provided for the reorganisation of health services, it provided only the i skeleton upon which flesh had to be placed through the co-; operation and expertise of numerous specialist groups, i Mr McGuigan said. Of these the most important contributions from volun- | tary groups were “demon- 1 I strafing and pioneering new 'ideas, educating the public, I training health workers, as-! ■sisting the Government in; identifying problems, plan-I ning and evaluating health programmes, and stimulating 1 .community participation.” , In the geriatric field, there, [were some services the Gov-j ernment could not provide, among them the ancillary, care, attention, and friendship that came from community participation, he said. ; However, the Government' was anxious to reduce num-; bers of aged under long-term I care in hospitals, especially I where short-term care was ; possible or where long-term I accommodation could be pro-I vided in the community. j To this end the Govern-[ ment would increase its bed; and building subsidy to hos-l pitals and homes for the aged built by religious and welfare organisations to s6m| annually, an increase of ssm! on last year. Mr McGuigan! said. It also intended to increase; subsidies for those patients; needing continuing medical, care who were obliged to; seek it in private, rather than; public hospitals.

An additional 1200 hospital beds were under construction

or had been approved for con|struction, he said. However, no further finanIctal assistance beyond the j increased building and bed ’subsidy would be given resiidential homes and hospitals i owned by charitable instituI tions, he said in answer to a | request that the Government I meet deficits in the running lof these institutions, or ’encourage an increased staff/ ipatient ratio. PILOT SCHEMES i If three pilot schemes in aged care—sheltered housing | for the frail aged, dependent I flats and a residential club — I were successful, the Govern- [ ment would also extend its ! financial aid further, to this I type of care, he said. The Government would 'also like to see members of the public educated in gerijatric medicine. The families of elderly patients, with support from professional quarters. were essential members of the treatment team, he said. Nursing services, meals on i wheels, laundry and domiciliary services needed to be! .expanded. Fnancial and other support needed to be pro- | vided for those caring for elderly relatives at home. Mr McGuigan commended the Canterbury Aged People’s Welfare Council on its work in the community. It provided exactly the sort of services the community needed, and had had marked success, he said.