Investment In Rural Health Welcome But Need Remains High

Rural Women New Zealand has welcomed the Government’s announcement of new and improved urgent and after-hours healthcare for rural communities but says this must be the start of a commitment to improve rural access to health services.

Sandra Matthews, National President of Rural Women New Zealand, says the investment recognises some of the current issues faced by rural communities, but a sustained effort is needed to address the challenges rural people face in accessing their healthcare needs.

“Rural communities should not be disadvantaged in our health system. These new services, including on-call clinicians, access to basic diagnostics, and timely access to medicines, are a promising step. We welcome the inclusion of trials that will be developed in partnership with rural providers, who know best how to respond to the needs of rural communities.”

“However, real equity will only be achieved when every rural New Zealander can access quality healthcare, no matter their location,” says Matthews.

Rural Women New Zealand has long called for universal access to high-quality primary and urgent care in rural communities.

The Government’s announcement includes extended after-hours and 24/7 on-call clinical support, as well as improved access to diagnostic services and medicines.

The Government claims that this announcement will ensure that 98 percent of New Zealanders will be able to access urgent and after-hours healthcare within an hour’s drive from home.

“We welcome this commitment but achieving it will be a significant challenge, particularly when it comes to ensuring the sustainability of our rural health workforce,” says Matthews.

“We continue to hear from rural women about long travel times to access basic healthcare, including effective care for mothers and babies, difficulty getting prescriptions filled after hours, and the stress of accessing diagnosis services. These are fixable problems but require sustained investment and planning.”

“We commend the Government for listening to our rural communities, but more will need to be done to ensure rural people have the same access to healthcare as other New Zealanders. Geographical equity in healthcare coverage must remain the overall goal.”

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