Media Release
22 December 2010

Decision to privatise ACC a bad one say nurses

The Government’s decision ‘in principle’ to privatise ACC does not bode well for New Zealanders says the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO).

“The ACC system is not broken, so what exactly is the Government attempting to fix?” says NZNO president Nano Tunnicliff.

“NZNO believes that people’s health and ability to participate fully in society should come before profit but this Government is showing once again that only the rich will have a choice when it comes to accessing health services when they need it”

“I urge the Government to take heed of the experiences of the 1990s when accident insurance levies rose and the number of claims accepted fell under a private ACC model. All New Zealanders need to have access to health care and rehabilitation and I fear that won’t happen under a privatised ACC.”

“Private insurance companies have no incentive to invest in injury prevention or to process claims in a timely manner. The only workable ACC scheme is public owned, by New Zealanders for New Zealanders.”

“New Zealand has a lot to be proud of in its ACC system – it was set up as part of the social welfare system and it should stay that way, not as an insurance scheme akin to car insurance.” Tunnicliff says.

ENDS

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