IPAC disappointed with Government refusal to talk

IPA Council of New Zealand

Media Release

30 May 2006

IPAC disappointed with Government refusal to talk

The IPA Council of New Zealand (IPAC) is urging GPs and PHOs to reject a prescriptive contract with the Government for rolling out subsidies for 45-64 year olds, following collapsed negotiations for a proposed national contract.
The subsidised visits were to be rolled out nationally from July 1 but national contract talks collapsed at a meeting between government agencies and PHOs today.
IPAC Chairman Doug Baird said he was disappointed with the Government’s insistence on moving to a system in which it approves all future fees set by GPs, in return for the subsidies.
“The Government is walking away from a nationally agreed contract, which has functioned effectively for three years, because it can’t get what it wants and is not prepared to negotiate,” Dr Baird said.
“It is going to offer the contract as it stands to individual GPs and PHOs and they can take it or leave it. No PHO should sign the contract because it will mean giving up control of their practices, which can only be bad for patient heath.”
The Government was showing bad faith by insisting on changes to the existing contract, to the detriment of patents and primary health care, Dr Baird said.
He said IPAC’s members wanted to work with the Government to achieve reduced fees for over-65s but not at the risk of viability of their practices.

ENDS

Note: IPAC is a national body representing 17 Independent Practitioner Associations (IPAs) which cover more than 800 community-based general practices, attended by some 1,985 GPs and more than 2,000 practice nurses.

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