29 Aug 2017

Know your policy: Health

From Election17 - Policy Comparisons, 3:42 pm on 29 August 2017

What are the parties' health priorities?

Photo: 123RF

$12m over four years to fund the infrastructure needed to fluoridate more drinking water
Introduce an $18 cap on GP visits for all Community Services Card holders from July 2018 - extending cheap GP visits to an extra 600,000 people
Establish a new School of Rural Medicine within the next three years to produce more doctors for rural communities
Invest an extra $6.5m into the adult cochlear implants programme
$1bn new hospital for Dunedin, to be completed within seven to 10 years

Lower the cheapest GP visits from $18 to $8 and increase funding for all other GPs who lower fees by $10
Streamline cancer care by establishing a National Cancer Agency
Start building a new $1.4bn hospital in Dunedin's city centre in its first term

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Restore the health funding shortfall of $2.3bn over time
Carry out an urgent review of mental health in first 100 days
Pilot scheme of mental health teams and school-based health teams for all state secondary schools
Provide a clear time-frame for industry to reduce sugar content in all processed food
Introduce a childhood obesity reduction target
Introduce clear front-of-package labelling for food

Match increasing need for health services with increased funding
Place a high priority on preventative care, children's health, and people with high health needs
Improve community-based care
Reduce the need for expensive surgery, hospital care, diagnostic procedures and pharmaceuticals through prevention and early intervention
Re-introduce programmes, regulation and legislation to prevent illness caused by tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and unhealthy food and drink.
Properly fund services aimed at providing the kind of support that enables people to have their treatment and rehabilitation needs met in their own homes
Support a law change that allows an adult diagnosed with a terminal illness to access medical-assistance in dying
Continue to support and strengthen Whanau Ora
Implement all recommendations of the Human Rights Commission's 'Caring Counts' report for aged care

Launch a Commission of Inquiry into the public health system to find out what the public expects of the health system and what the system can deliver
Commit to improving health statistics in areas of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and stamping out rheumatic fever

Photo: AFP

Expanding programmes such as 'Family Start' and home-based support
Ensure all New Zealand pre-school and school children receive adequate dental care and fully implement a national strategy including implementing the recommendations of the Health Select Committee Report on Oral Health
Immediately review funding of public health organisations that fail to maintain adequate emergency services
Introduce a Teen Health Check for all Year 9 students
Increase the number of acute and non-acute beds and accommodation units for the mentally ill
Review the costs of gaining initial medical qualifications, and explore the option of a 'bonding' system for medical students who are willing to trade-off student loan abatements for staying in New Zealand

To be confirmed

Universal Well Child services for all children under-six
Review of vision and hearing testing as universal tests
Prioritise oral health including instigating an annual oral health check for low income families
Establish youth wellbeing centres in consultation with rangatahi
Expand the Rangatahi Suicide Prevention Strategy
Bariatric surgery for at least 1000 more people each year
Review the Health Act to ensure implementation of rongoa Māori
Establish a health workforce project for pay parity to retain Māori nurses at iwi providers
Review the work conditions, pay and training opportunities for those working in the elderly, disability and home care sector
Establish a national Māori advocacy service

Get the RNZ app