Progressive wants special fund to slash waiting times and improve health and well-being

The Progressive Party would like the next coalition government to set up a special, ring-fenced fund of $100 million available to district health boards in regions with serious health challenges, party leader Jim Anderton said today.

"What we would like to see is District Health Boards being able to apply for funding from this new fund and bids would be judged on the quality of their plans of action to tackle a particular health problem.

"Regions that might benefit from such a fund include remote areas with, for example, too high an incidence of glue ear, urban areas with too high an incidence of diabetes in young people, or where there are excessive delays on surgical waiting lists or access to treatment of chronic illnesses" Jim Anderton said.

ENDS

EDITOR'S NOTE: Regional Development Minister Jim Anderton is aware that in isolated parts of the East Coast of the North Island, for example, a mobile operating theatre visits isolated communities to deliver a range of low-cost surgical procedures delivered directly to people within their own communities in conjunction with the local hospital. Progressive's proposal for a new fund would expand this type of community-centred service delivery.

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