Media Statement

For immediate release

Wednesday, 22 October, 2003

United Future backs call for public private partnerships to reduce waiting lists

United Future today signalled its strong support for the position by Professor Geoffrey Horne and the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association for greater use of public private partnerships, as a way of reducing waiting lists.

Finance spokesman, Gordon Copeland, and health spokeswoman, Judy Turner, said, “This is a straightforward commonsense solution to the problem of growing waiting lists in New Zealand and we should not allow a “State provider only” ideology to drive the system, where other options are available.

“It makes no sense when facilities and surgeons are available at privately owned hospitals to send people requiring orthopaedic and other surgery back home, where they live in pain, waiting endlessly for the State system to catch up.

“It makes it even worse, when people read that far from declining, such waiting lists are actually increasing with many people being sent back to their GP’s with the message “sorry you’ll just have to keep on waiting”.

“It’s just not good enough,” said the two MP’s.

“United Future believes that we should view the health system holistically, and utilise all of the facilities and medical expertise available, whether in the private or the State sector, to get surgery for as many people as possible and as quickly as possible.

“You never know, we might even be able to both reduce waiting lists and make the public sector spend our tax dollars more effectively. Competition tends to have that effect, ” they said.

Ends

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