National’s health policy

Press, 15 July 1987, Page 3

National’s health policy

By

PETER LUKE,

political reporter The National Party’s health policy offers the prospect of a greater role for the private sector and a more business-like approach by public hospitals. The policy, announced yesterday, calls for a leaner and more efficient health system. Public hospitals would be given greater commercial freedom and be run in a competitive environment, according to the party’s health spokesman, Mr Paul East. He called for changes in industrial legislation to give hospitals greater flexibility in the deployment of staff. Hospitals should also have the freedom to contract out services such as catering and laundry, Mr East said. The policy called for an effective mix of ...public and private financing to provide health care. It should be possible for private patients to attend

public hospitals on a feepaying basis, and for public hospitals to contract out treatment to private hospitals. Mr East outlined a scenario in which public hospitals took care of accidents and high technology medicine while the private hospitals concentrated on routine treatment. National would encourage people to take out private medical insurance, by making it taxdeductible. National has affirmed the importance of the general practitioner as the cornerstone of the health system. Visits to family doctors would be more affordable with the removal of GST from doctors’ bills and the reintroduction of the practice nurse subsidy. Other aspects of the National policy are: Repealing the Area Health Boards Amendment Bill, which allows the Minister of Health to appoint board members.

A full review of psychiatric health. An advisory group to advise on new medical technology such as heart transplants. Greater public awareness about A.I.D.S. Patient-directed subsidies for the elderly to allow a choice between institutional and homebased care. A hepatitis B immunisation programme for all pfe-school children. The Minister of Health, Dr Bassett, said yesterday that the policy was “a colourless bit of political codswallop.” Public hospital facilities would be increasingly placed in private hands. "Public health will not be in safe hands with a National Government.” Dr Bassett rejected National’s claim that the practice nurse subsidy had been abolished or that the Area Health Boards Amendment Bill would be passed.