Health cuts a ‘necessity’

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 20

Health cuts a ‘necessity’

PA ftunedin Pruning health services in New Zealand is a matter of dire economic necessity, not political expendiency, according to Mr E. Whittleston, president of the Private Hospitals Association. Mr Whittleston told the association’s annual conference at Dunddin that private hospitals should critically examine the part they should play in the future. “A much closer scrutiny of expenditure on hospitals and health is now evident,” i said. “The efforts to contain costs are apparent in the United States, Britain, and Australia. Similar efforts; are probably being made in all

countries which have high social goals. ’ Mr Whittleston said that in terms of the proportion of total Government expenditure, tne position called for review. He also said that the Government’s move to take health care into the community was sensible. “Health administrators and economists are now questioning the effectiveness of traditional approaches to health care,” he said. “It would be unrealistic to pretend that, with genuine criticisms of traditional methods and in view of Government action taken and pending to relate costs to benefits, we will be untouched by likely changes,” MiWhittleston said.