National misleads, again
National misleads on rural health funding
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A claim by National associate health spokeswoman Jo Goodhew that money for rural GPs is not getting through shows National is again prepared to deliberately mislead the public, Health Minister Pete Hodgson and Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor say.
Funding for primary care services to rural families goes much wider than general practitioner services, and includes the local pharmacist, rural nurses and midwives and visiting specialist services such as the mobile surgical bus, Mr Hodgson said.
"Not only does National well understand that, it also, as is its style, selectively quotes from the survey. The three month-old New Zealand Rural General Practice Network research actually points out that funding not going to general practices includes funding being used in 'entirely appropriate circumstances', for other rural workforce retention, such as helping to retain rural pharmacists
"It is entirely appropriate that all funding is not passed directly through to General Practices and that DHBs and PHOs invest in initiatives across their district," Pete Hodgson says.
The facts are clear, this Government is investing heavily in rural health.
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A claim by National associate health spokeswoman Jo Goodhew that money for rural GPs is not getting through shows National is again prepared to deliberately mislead the public, Health Minister Pete Hodgson and Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor say.
Funding for primary care services to rural families goes much wider than general practitioner services, and includes the local pharmacist, rural nurses and midwives and visiting specialist services such as the mobile surgical bus, Mr Hodgson said.
"Not only does National well understand that, it also, as is its style, selectively quotes from the survey. The three month-old New Zealand Rural General Practice Network research actually points out that funding not going to general practices includes funding being used in 'entirely appropriate circumstances', for other rural workforce retention, such as helping to retain rural pharmacists
"It is entirely appropriate that all funding is not passed directly through to General Practices and that DHBs and PHOs invest in initiatives across their district," Pete Hodgson says.
The facts are clear, this Government is investing heavily in rural health.