Public Health Financial Statistics a Shocker

Friday 23 Aug 2002 Heather Roy Press Releases -- Health

"The unprecedented $272.6 million deficit for public hospitals shows how sick Labour has let our public health sector become, says Heather Roy, ACT's Health Spokesman.

"This includes a record operating deficit of $217 million confirmed today by Statistics NZ, only months after Health Minister Annette King downplayed the funding crisis, with projections much lower than this.

"This is the worst ever financial result for our hospitals" said Mrs Roy.

"Total long-term indebtedness of public hospitals has climbed to around $1 billion. This is double the level of debt just four years ago.

"It is now clear that Labour's health reforms are failing. They are a failure financially, as the results show. More importantly, they are failing to give New Zealanders the quality health service they deserve.

"New Zealanders are starting to see a graphic illustration of the way that third-world economic growth and a cheap dollar canl only buy us a third world health system," says Mrs Roy.

"Every week I receive calls from patients who have been denied health services and can't believe this is happening in New Zealand. People are having their operations cancelled for the fifth and sixth times," she says.

"Mrs Roy says these problems are due in a large part to the financial constraints health providers are operating under.

"Annette King must front up to the public on this and accept responsibility for the failings in health. I expect she will simply blame others and pass the buck to the health boards." Mrs Roy concludes."

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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