What is actually happening with NZ Health?
Politics đłď¸ NZ Politics
- Thread starter wizard of Tauranga
- Start date
NZWarriors.com
It's either a) being deliberately underfunded so it falls over and has to be privatised by the neoliberals, or b) we can't afford it. Or there might be other theories, what's yours sarge?
No idea. Thatâs why I asked
NZWarriors.com
- Thread starter
- #15,444
My non political take:
As a percentage of GDP our health spend is in line with other countries. We canât afford to spend more. Weâre in deficit already.
The issue is our GDP per person is shocking. Finland with a similar population has double the GDP so if they spend the same GDP per person on health, their health budget is double ours for the same population despite the same spend on a GDP basis. Simple maths really.
So our retirement economy, anti growth and pro lifestyle over the economy, is coming back to bite us. Weâve got what we wanted and now some are waking up to the realityâŚ
Add to this our massive population growth (not adding to GDP per person) and we slowly slip backwards. Because we live it everyday we donât notice the slow decline but when you go overseas to visit countries that were once way behind us and they are now ahead of us it becomes obvious how much weâve stood still and are falling behind.
As a country we need to priorities the important things like new businesses and growing existing businesses, etc rather than non event issues like how well free school lunches are going⌠our priorities are all wrong sometimes.
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Finland is interesting how it taxes compared to NZ. Their thresholds and tax rates for lower incomes are less than ours but our version of WFF is higher than theirs. Their highest personal tax threshold is lower than ours and the tax rate higher.
Their corporate tax rate is lower but VAT is 25% compared to our 15%. And, of course, they have a comprehensive CGT while ours is pretty much non existent.
They also have inheritance and gift taxes.
Their total tax revenue in 2023 was just over $200 billion NZD, while NZâs total tax revenue was $115 billion. Itâs not just they have a higher GDP, theyâre also far more willing to pay tax, or be taxed, depending on your outlook.
Decades of underfunding
Itâs always in the âhigh priority but low urgencyâ category, so no government actually funds it like it should be
We are the frog in the slowly boiling water pot
Itâs not some Machiavellian scheme by the private sector. Itâs just fiduciary incompetence
NZWarriors.com
Another problem we have is that we swing to far one way or another with every change of government.
Where I think our current government is falling down is its drive for efficiency at all cost attitude. While itâs fine to question if the money provided to the health system is being used to properly to provide front line health services, thereâs a major problem with gutting the back office staffâŚ. someone still has to do this work and if thereâs no support staff or a reduced support staff to do it, then frontline staff have to which then effects their ability to preform their frontline duties. While itâs fine might be âcheaperâ it wonât lead to better outcomes for patients.
From what Iâve heard from a few people working it hospitals, is that Shane Reti got dumped as Minister of Health because he was starting to pushback against more cuts in the name of âefficiencyâ.
- Thread starter
- #15,448
Finland has a GDP of $296b with $200b tax leaves $96b private surplus.
NZ GDP of $204b with $115b tax leaves $89b private surplus.
So Finland has significantly higher tax and significantly better govt services plus the individual is still better off than in NZ.
Despite all the extra tax, youâre still better off as an individual in Finland. Grow the economic pie and we all benefit.
- Thread starter
- #15,449
Health New Zealandâs latest workforce data for the quarter to March 2024:
âThere are now more nurses employed by hospitals than ever before, with 29,404 full time equivalent (FTE) nurses employed by Health NZ across the country. Thatâs an additional 1,198 compared to last quarter, and an overall increase of 2,900 over the last year.
No wonder Reti had to go, this is no way to create a crisis and force privatisationâŚ
NZWarriors.com
Which is all well and good.... but when more of their time is being spent on admin roles for those let go in the name of efficiency, it won't lead to better outcomes for the patients... which, IMHO, should be the ideal result of any reforms in the health system. Otherwise, you're just moving the deck chairs on the Titanic!!
What some people won't want to know is that during the time of Helen Clark's government, my father had a triple bypass.... performed in a private hospital but paid for by the government. It sounds like it was done under a similar scheme as the one the current government is wanting to use to help clear the public waiting lists.
Personally, I don't have a problem at all with elective surgeries being shared between the public and private hospitals.... I don't see it as a form of privatisation of the health system but a way to provide better outcomes for patients.
Or is it to early to make that call?
NZWarriors.com
In my recent visit to hospital I had a number of blood tests Two days later I was phoned by my doctor to check on me.
Then she said that I should get a blood test.
I said I had the tests done while in hospital.
She replied that the hospital doesn't pass these on to her.
Seems like a bit strange in this technology age
Then she said that I should get a blood test.
I said I had the tests done while in hospital.
She replied that the hospital doesn't pass these on to her.
Seems like a bit strange in this technology age
Yeah, you have to specifically ask them to send results to the doc. The different depts in the hospitals don't communicate well with each other either. Witnessed a stand up between my cardiologist and urologist over blood thinners. Thought there might be a bit of Biffo.In my recent visit to hospital I had a number of blood tests Two days later I was phoned by my doctor to check on me.
Then she said that I should get a blood test.
I said I had the tests done while in hospital.
She replied that the hospital doesn't pass these on to her.
Seems like a bit strange in this technology age
As for using private hospitals for public work, no problem, wouldn't surprise me if the cost was cheaper as they are probably more efficient. Had a few ops on the state done here in Southern Cross, surgeons are the same across the board anyway.From the recent fall, a couple of days after each dressing change, I'd get an email from Managemyhealth saying that more results had been loaded.... it actually got a bit annoying...In my recent visit to hospital I had a number of blood tests Two days later I was phoned by my doctor to check on me.
Then she said that I should get a blood test.
I said I had the tests done while in hospital.
She replied that the hospital doesn't pass these on to her.
Seems like a bit strange in this technology age
NZWarriors.com
You fool..... those older ones were from last year!!!!
- Thread starter
- #15,457
It seems there are efficiencies to be gained.
Isnât the answer to find those efficiencies instead of just cutting middle management?
Isnât the answer to find those efficiencies instead of just cutting middle management?
- Thread starter
- #15,458
A year for results to come in might be the issue heâs annoyed about!
NZWarriors.com
What the country really needs.......... NOT!!!!!
The Act Party will today announce it is looking to stand candidates in the upcoming local council elections, saying itâs âtime for a clean-outâ.
Leader David Seymour is expected to hold a press conference in Wellington later on Tuesday to call for expressions of interest from New Zealanders to stand for their local council under the Act Party banner. Local elections will be held in October.
This will be the first time Act has looked to put forward candidates in local elections.
Seymour described it as an âexploratory campaignâ. He said national political parties putting forward local candidates hasnât always been popular, but he reckoned âbetter representationâ is needed on councils.
âIf good people show up wanting to stand and we think we can win some, we will go for it,â he said.
âI think itâs better to be trying new things even if they donât work out the first time than never try at all.â
Act wonât be considering challenging mayoral seats as Seymour said the party needed to be ârealisticâ. He believed people needed to âshow what you can deliver before you try and take on big prizesâ.
âStart with people that can get around the council, learn the skills, and then work their way up,â he said.
Candidates would be expected to raise money to fund their own campaigns.
âYouâre not going to see helicopter candidates funded from outside your town ... If you canât fundraise money for your campaign, maybe people are trying to tell you something.â
He will highlight Actâs key focuses in government, such as addressing the cost of living, wasteful spending, and co-governance, and suggest Act councillors would prioritise core issues like these, such as lowering rates and scrapping ânice-to-havesâ.
âWe want to end wasteful spending, end massive rate rises, end the war on cars, and start treating people respectfully regardless of race,â Seymour said.
Heâs expected to say councils have missed the memo that Kiwis voted for âreal changeâ in 2023 and believes it is âtime for a clean-outâ in local politics.
Act has grown its support significantly over the past decade in central government elections.
In 2017, it received just 0.5% of the vote. That jumped to 7.6% in 2020 and then 8.64% in the 2023 election, enough to help National and NZ First form a government.
Seymour has held the Epsom seat since 2014. In 2023, the partyâs deputy, Brooke van Velden, scored the partyâs second electorate seat with TÄmaki.
Although Act hasnât had councillors elected under its banner previously, that hasnât stopped the party making its thoughts heard on local politics.
Just last week, Seymour issued a statement saying local councils should ditch complex procurement policies in favour of new rules from central government.
One of his MPs, Mark Cameron, lodged a Memberâs Bill last year that would restore provisions to the Resource Management Act prohibiting councils from considering climate change as a factor in their plans.
A policy of Actâs at the 2023 election was to share GST with councils to fund local infrastructure. The partyâs coalition agreement with National commits to considering this.
www.nzherald.co.nz
Act Party looking to stand candidates in local elections for first time
The Act Party will today announce it is looking to stand candidates in the upcoming local council elections, saying itâs âtime for a clean-outâ.
Leader David Seymour is expected to hold a press conference in Wellington later on Tuesday to call for expressions of interest from New Zealanders to stand for their local council under the Act Party banner. Local elections will be held in October.
This will be the first time Act has looked to put forward candidates in local elections.
Seymour described it as an âexploratory campaignâ. He said national political parties putting forward local candidates hasnât always been popular, but he reckoned âbetter representationâ is needed on councils.
âIf good people show up wanting to stand and we think we can win some, we will go for it,â he said.
âI think itâs better to be trying new things even if they donât work out the first time than never try at all.â
Act wonât be considering challenging mayoral seats as Seymour said the party needed to be ârealisticâ. He believed people needed to âshow what you can deliver before you try and take on big prizesâ.
âStart with people that can get around the council, learn the skills, and then work their way up,â he said.
Candidates would be expected to raise money to fund their own campaigns.
âYouâre not going to see helicopter candidates funded from outside your town ... If you canât fundraise money for your campaign, maybe people are trying to tell you something.â
He will highlight Actâs key focuses in government, such as addressing the cost of living, wasteful spending, and co-governance, and suggest Act councillors would prioritise core issues like these, such as lowering rates and scrapping ânice-to-havesâ.
âWe want to end wasteful spending, end massive rate rises, end the war on cars, and start treating people respectfully regardless of race,â Seymour said.
Heâs expected to say councils have missed the memo that Kiwis voted for âreal changeâ in 2023 and believes it is âtime for a clean-outâ in local politics.
Act has grown its support significantly over the past decade in central government elections.
In 2017, it received just 0.5% of the vote. That jumped to 7.6% in 2020 and then 8.64% in the 2023 election, enough to help National and NZ First form a government.
Seymour has held the Epsom seat since 2014. In 2023, the partyâs deputy, Brooke van Velden, scored the partyâs second electorate seat with TÄmaki.
Although Act hasnât had councillors elected under its banner previously, that hasnât stopped the party making its thoughts heard on local politics.
Just last week, Seymour issued a statement saying local councils should ditch complex procurement policies in favour of new rules from central government.
One of his MPs, Mark Cameron, lodged a Memberâs Bill last year that would restore provisions to the Resource Management Act prohibiting councils from considering climate change as a factor in their plans.
A policy of Actâs at the 2023 election was to share GST with councils to fund local infrastructure. The partyâs coalition agreement with National commits to considering this.
âTime for a clean-outâ: Act reveals major election move
David Seymour is expected to speak to media later about the announcement.
My GP can see all test that have been done either requested by him or my hospital ones and their notes. It does take a little while to get loaded in the system though.Yeah, you have to specifically ask them to send results to the doc. The different depts in the hospitals don't communicate well with each other either. Witnessed a stand up between my cardiologist and urologist over blood thinners. Thought there might be a bit of Biffo.
