Plunket may charge for services

Press, 21 October 1986, Page 2

Plunket may charge for services

The Plunket Society is considering sponsorship or charging for its services in order to overcome financial difficulties, according to the society’s national president, Mrs Jenny Cox. Fund-raising put an increasing burden on Plunket volunteers, Mrs Cox said at the society’s national conference in Christchurch last evening.

It was time to consider sponsorship of some activities and investigate the user-pays principle. If every family with a new baby gave $25 to their local Plunket branch — in addition to the annual appeal gifts — fund-raising would be unnecessary. Plunket nurses and volunteers often felt frustrated by the lack of resources to fulfil their, own and society’s expectations, she said.

In spite of the recent Government increase of 15 Plunket nurses, the society needed more to meet the basic needs of young families. This year the Government had allowed $27 million for family health, which represented about 0.9 per cent of the total health vote. That was not enough, Mrs Cox said. More money spent on family health would in many instances prevent the need for expensive hospital care later, she said.

The society has about 7000 volunteers working in the community. Its 402 full-time and part-time Plunket nurses looked after 87 per cent of new babies born last year. They made 310,000 home visits and received 470,000 visits at clinics, she said.

The society’s car-seat rental scheme had expanded, with the support of volunteers and the community, to 22,000 seats.