Media Release

Call For Inquiry Into Where Taxpayer Health Dollars Will End Up

Following their sacking by parent company and IPA doctors’ group, Pinnacle, the former directors of Waikato Primary Health want an inquiry into where taxpayer dollars will be going and what they will be used for.

Pinnacle is now seizing control of all aspects of the organisation. This effectively moves a large health budget from the not-for-profit PHO to private control

Former Waikato Primary Health Board deputy chairperson Tania Hodges says serious questions need to be asked about how high needs populations are going to be treated by this change.

“Are we going to see less funding for Maori and populations that have disproportionate negative health statistics?

Who is going to focus attention on rural communities?

Who is going to focus on building a sustainable work force of non-GP health workers?”

Hodges says the big issue is, if the DHB or Minister don’t act and if Pinnacle is allowed to take control of primary care within the region without any questions being asked then that essentially gives the green light for IPAs or doctors’ groups to control primary care throughout the whole country.

“Primary care in this country will then be run by private businesses for private profit.

“I don’t have a problem with GPs running their own businesses. But I don’t think GPs should be controlling primary care which is wider than just GP services.

“There has been millions of dollars go into health over the past few years and now most of that could end up in GPs pockets while those who have the highest needs will continue to miss out.”

Waikato Primary Health is one of the most efficient PHOs in the country with an enrolled population of 310,000 people in the Waikato, King Country and Coromandel.

Pinnacle is a GP-owned Independent Practitioner Association or IPA. It controls a number of organisations including Pinnacle Group Limited (PGL) and Primary Health Care Limited.

Hodges says the process to take over control has been a sham and will provide no certainty to the District Health Board or the people of the Waikato that public health money is not being diverted from health services

“We have always been open to looking at better ways of funding and providing health services, and strongly believe any such process should be transparent and actively involve the DHB and communities we serve.”

Hodges also says she now has real concerns for the staff of Waikato Primary Health.

ENDS