Health sector changes more pain for no gain

The shuffling of agencies and responsibilities in the health sector looks like a continuation of National’s 'pain without gain' philosophy, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Grant Robertson.

"Without all the details of the proposed changes it is difficult to tell what the impact will be on the health sector, but on the surface it appears to be more upheaval without obvious benefits for New Zealanders," Grant Robertson said.

"There will be many people concerned by the early demise of the Mental Health Commission. There is still a lot of work to do to update the Mental Health Blueprint and support its implementation. Mental health is often the poor cousin of the health system and this change risks making that situation worse," Grant Robertson said.

"The proposal for a standalone public health agency raises a number of questions. While there might well be synergies between ALAC and the Health Sponsorship Council, the inclusion of the Ministry of Health is concerning. What will this mean for public health funding provided by the Ministry and in turn public health agencies in our communities? And will a stand-alone agency mean that the importance of public health approaches in advice to the Minister will be diminished?

"In order for the health of New Zealanders to improve we need a renewed focus on helping people to stay healthy. It’s difficult to see how this proposal will enhance that.

"We need to see the details of the changes to make a final judgement, but on the surface this shuffling will do little to improve the health and well-being of New Zealanders or improve their access to affordable healthcare," Grant Robertson said.