Mr Gill main author

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33974, 15 October 1975, Page 3

Mr Gill main author

Press Association) WELLINGTON. j October 14. I A National Govern-i ment would consult people in health work widely to build the best comprehensive health! service available, the! Leader of the Opposi-i tion (Mr Muldoon) saidtoday. He told a press conference a few hours after announcing his party’s health policy that the Opposition spokesman on health, Mr T, F. Gill, was the main author of; the policy statement. “He has travelled the! country and talked to doctors, nurses, hospital boards, and people in ancillary services,” Mr Muldoon said. National aimed at taking what was worth while from the Government White Paper on Health and “three years of waste” in the health field under Labour. “The only things worth! while in the White Paper; were those suggested by I

/people in the health field, and most of them opposed most of what is in the paper,” he said. i Mr Gill said that National; I would move on a broad! front. "refurbishing” the; health system, rather than] introduce a completely newj [system. I He said community health, was the field of greatest! I need GENERAL BENEFIT \ The general medical serivice benefit, would be rej viewed Mr Gill said. 1 “It ought to move up. because of inflation, from | where it was in 1972,” he said. Mr Muldoon said he would not make budgetary promises before the General Election, but an increase in the benefit would be given every consideration. National would establish a dual system of health care, private hospitals playing an important role HEALTH INSURANCE i The Labour ■ Government iwas downgrading private [ I hospitals, but National!

.(would encourage them so 11 that patients could have a; ;[ choice. National would also; encourage people to buy[ [[health insurance. li "We would like to see ; more money spent on health i insurance because that q money subsidises the State’s [.effort.” he said. ‘I "Labour says the State M should provide 100 per cent. I of the money for health. We say if someone wanted to .pay part of it. that would [help the over-all health sys;tem,” Mr Muldoon said. .A proposed new children’s! ! hospital was likely to be 5 built in Auckland, because lof the large population > there, said Mr Gill, the t member of Parliament for 1 East Coast Bays. i "It will be especially for i children’s problems, but it will not be intended to ret place existing facilities for , children.” 1 Mr Muldoon said National had no plan to charge for j prescriptions. li DRUGS AND ALCOHOL i •. His party recognised the '[extent and seriousness of 'the drug and alcohol prob- [ lem. i If elected. National would introduce a co-ordinated policy of awareness “towards the rational use and the misuse of alcohol and drugs”, support, the use of criminal law to control the illegal (distribution of drugs; and (control the prescribing of !dependency-producing drugs! [more rigidly. The establishment of aico-i hoi and drug-treatment cen-l tres in general hospitals would be encouraged, and! specialist departments atj psychiatric hospitals sup-[ ported. ; Mr Muldoon said his party would establish a special long-term care and treatment institution for severe, non-responsive addicts.