Barbara Stewart MP
Spokesperson for Health
11 APRIL 2016

Govt Proven Wrong to Vote Down Affordable Healthcare Bill

The huge need for elective surgeries proves the government was wrong to vote down New Zealand First’s Affordable Healthcare Bill last year, says New Zealand First.

“New research has revealed 280,000 New Zealanders are living with unmet surgical need, a number well above the Ministry’s estimate of 60,000,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Barbara Stewart.

“Equally concerning is that the average waiting time for publicly funded elective surgery is now 177 days, compared with only 76 days for patients receiving surgery through the private sector.

“This greatly impacts patient’s quality of life but also costs the country money, with 15 per cent of patients taking time off work and 20 per cent needing government funded assistance while they wait for their surgery.

“Alleviating pressure on the public healthcare system through encouraging uptake in private health insurance would have a direct impact on public waiting lists.

“Government needs to quit playing politics and adopt New Zealand First’s common sense policy to lessen the stress on the public health sector, and give Kiwis a fair go at getting the health care they desperately need,” says Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

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