Survey shows cost less of a barrier to GP care
Hon David Cunliffe
Minister of Health
29 April
2008 Media Statement
Survey shows cost less of a barrier
to GP care
The Minister of Health, David Cunliffe
says the largest-ever survey of New Zealanders' health shows
more people now have better access to primary health
care.
“New Zealanders not only can afford to see their GPs more often but they are extremely positive about the care they receive.”
"The provisional results show the Primary Health Care Strategy and the Government's significant investment of $2.2 billion over the past seven years to lower the cost of primary health care has made a real difference," said Mr Cunliffe.
More than 17,000 adults and children were interviewed, weighed and measured as part of the Ministry of Health's New Zealand Health Survey from October 2006 to November 2007.
"The proportion
of adults reporting they needed to see a GP, but could not,
for various reasons including cost, has almost halved
from 13 percent in to 7 percent. For children, this same
figure has also decreased markedly, from 7 percent to 4
percent," said Mr Cunliffe.
"This is really great news,
especially for all those thousands of people
who were
missing out and can now get the care they need."
Maori
children and Maori and Pacific adults were more likely to
not have been able to see their GP when they needed to in
the previous 12 months, and Maori children and adults were
more likely to have cost as a barrier
to accessing GP
services.
“The survey results reflect the drive in recent years to lower the cost of primary health care for all New Zealanders, one of the biggest changes in the health sector since the last health survey in 2002/03,” said Mr Cunliffe.
“Patients also said they had a good
experience of primary health care, with nine out of 10
people saying their health professional treated them with
respect and dignity all the time.”
ENDS