Local health planning urged

Press, 25 September 1978, Page 10

Local health planning urged

Strong support for the role of the consumer in the planning and use of health services has come from the Minister of Health (Mr Gill). More responsibility in health matters had to be encouraged, he told a meeting organised by the Canterbury Mental Health Association. Communities also had to take more interest in deci-1 sions about the form and nature of the their health services. The future success or failure of health care was going to depend more than ever on the intelligent concern of informed laymen. Mr Gill said that the demand for increases in future health services would come ■

from two areas: from illnesses which were a direct consequence of life styles and personal habits in which people could exercise choice and from chonic disabilities requiring continuing care. It was irresponsible to encourage the illusion that all health problems could be solved by a wonder drug. Good health care required people to be educated to i take a fresh look at their I health expectations. Mr Gill said he saw no role for central health planning which imposed predetermined solutions on local situations. The role of central planners in the 1980 s would be the over-all co-ordi-nation of health resources to ensure they were used wisely and efficiently.