Judith Collins MP National Party Health Spokeswoman

13 August 2004

National looks at men's health

National Party Health spokeswoman Judith Collins is rubbishing claims that she has appointed Paul Hutchison as an exclusive men's health spokesman.

"As part of his brief, I've asked Dr Hutchison to take a close look at men's health. It is a very important, and often overlooked, area of the health portfolio.

"Under Labour, men's health has been virtually ignored even though they make up nearly half the population.

"Men die sooner than women and the anecdotal evidence is that they are reluctant to see doctors and less likely to educate themselves about health.

"Paul and I plan to take an inclusive and holistic approach to the portfolio, but in order to address the inadequacies of Labour's policies, we must first identify areas of real need.

"This is a routine, and in my view, a logical division of labour in a hugely important portfolio. I've also asked Dr Hutchison to look after children's health and the pharmaceutical area in his role as Associate Health spokesman," says Ms Collins.

ENDS

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