Delays should be cut by primary care moves

Media Release from the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, issued in response to the announcement of Health Minister David Cunliffe of additional funding for elective services, including a primary care initiative.

18 May 2008

Delays should be cut by primary care moves

News of the primary care initiative was welcomed by College of GPs president Dr Jonathan Fox.

“We’ve been working towards this for a long time,” he said, “advocating that specialist GPs in primary care get access to high-tech diagnostics and other specialist assistance that will speed up eventual treatment,”

People often forget that after some of these diagnostics are done, he said, the results will allow a highly qualified specialist GP to make an early call.

“That CT scan, or MRI may indicate no, it’s not that, probably just this. The patient may never need to see the specialist physician at all. If they do, they will attend with relevant tests already available.”

“Therefore, fewer specialist consultations, and hopefully faster, maybe less intrusive treatment.”

RNZCGP looks forward to discussing with DHBs how best to use this money.

ENDS

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