Budget set to improve health outcomes

A number of new initiatives announced in the Budget in May have promised improvements in health outcomes.

The New Zealand Medical Association has welcomed the news that nearly half of new government money will go into health services, saying it shows the government’s commitment to improving medical services.

In particular, the NZMZ welcomes the following budgetary announcements:

• $80m will be funded into increasing access to medicines
• $40m will be set aside to fund dementia care over the next four years
• $68m will be used over the next four years for elective surgery
• $130m will go into disability support services.

The NZMA says the extra $80 million that is going into GP visit subsidies and the $14m set aside to allow more people to register with cost-saving schemes like free under-sixties, will help improve access to health services. It also hopes that some of the funding will be used to reduce the high rates of rheumatic fever.

In addition, an extra $54m is to go to maternity and WellChild services.

The money will be used to help develop the Quality and Safety Programme for Maternity Services.

As well as the extra funding, the government has also announced that it will implement standardised guidelines for referring patients, which will allow patients to be referred to GPs if necessary, and not just secondary care providers as previously.

It is thought that the funding will also allow for greater integration and communication between services.