Minister lists health plans

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 3

Minister lists health plans

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 11. An expansion of community health care and wider responsibilities for hospital boards were the two priorities in the health field at present, the Minister of Health (Mr Gill) said today.

In an informal address to the first meeting of the special advisory committee which will advise him on health service organisation, Mr Gill said New Zealand had one of the best medical services in the world. However, it was weak in prevention, education, and “taking health into the community.” But, he added, the country was now getting the capacity to do something about this. “I only wish I had been Minister of Health in 1973 when there was some money. rather than 1976 when there is none.” One of the things that the Government wanted to do was to get nurses out into rhe community to take the weight off stretched facilities such as hospital services. Mr Gill said that it was more economic and better in human terms to look after someone at home or in a small hospital or geriatric home than it was to place

them in a bed in a large hospital. HOSPITAL BOARDS He said hospital boards should have a wider role to co-ordinate resources such as voluntary and private services, general practice, public hospitals, and Health Department services. “Some boards do a little more than others but most people see hospital boards concerned only with hospitals.” As indicated in the Government’s policy, it would like to see experts appointed to hospital boards but with the elected members retaining a majority. Mr Gill also emphasised that he had been impressed with much of the work of the White Paper consultative groups and that their work was at the committee’s disposal. Replying to a committee member who asked when it was expected to produce its plan, Mr Gill said that in a “couple of years” it would be expected that the committee would firm up the basic lines for the reorganisation. He said he hoped to have close contact with the committee. The committee’s meetings will not be open to the public, but Mr Gill said members could make public statements, perhaps through ' a spokesman, and he sug- | gested that he could be informed before such stateIments were released.