Clamp on patients’ free travel?

Press, 28 February 1980, Page 6

Clamp on patients’ free travel?

PA Auckland The Government might soon discourage free travel for patients whose doctors refer them to specialists at distant hospitals. This warning was issued by the Minister of Health, (Mr Gair) in an address to the Otara Lions Club last evening. Mr Gair said he had discovered in a recent study involving New Zealand hospital boards that frequently cases requiring specialist attention at another centre were not sent to the closest available centre, or the one with the least-used capacity. “This is inefficient and can involve an unnecessary costi on the public purse,” he I said. i

' To tidy up this “unsatis- : factory situation”, Mr Gair said he and his departmental ; advisers had worked on a : scheme which he hoped would better protect the I taxpayer. , “If a patient requires suri gery in a particular super- : specialty, why should the taxpayer have to pay for the patient’s travel expenses to • a unit which may be hunI dreds of miles far removed i from another available unit i which carries out comparable : work?” Mr Gair said. ; He had asked the Health ; Department to prepare a proposal for consideration ! which would cover not only /heart or neurosurgical cases I but all comparable referrals.