National says waiting list culls to become standard

The additional money is expected to mean an extra 10,000 operations a year. Picture / John Borren

National says the Government's announcement yesterday of an extra $200m for hospital operations shows waiting list culls will become standard practice.

Just months after thousands of patients were culled from hospital waiting lists in line with a Government directive that no one should be on a waiting list for first assessment or surgery longer than six months, Health Minister Pete Hodgson has announced an extra $50 million a year over the next four years for operations for things such as hernias and breast reconstructions.

He said the money would provide a further 10,000 operations a year, an increase of 10 per cent.

National health spokesman Tony Ryall said giving the money to boards that had complied with the waiting list directive was "putting a gun to the heads of health bosses by saying the money would only be available to boards which met the Government's booking system policy".

"Basically, Labour's saying that if DHBs want this cash, they're going to have to consistently make sure no people are waiting six months for surgery," he said.

"In other words, waiting-list culls will become entrenched."

He said the issue was not money but how it was used and the Government should be making "smart use" of the private sector.

Under Mr Hodgson's announcement, health boards can farm out operations to neighbouring boards or private hospitals with spare capacity.

But in May, he slammed critics of the elective surgery system, saying they were actively trying to undermine public confidence in the health system.

"We need to continue to improve but we have reason to be confident in the overall state of elective surgery," he said at the time.

Yesterday, he said the new funding was possible only now that almost all health boards had effective booking systems in place.

"All of this follows what has been a challenging year in implementing a fair and effective prioritisation system for the non-urgent work done in our public hospitals," he said.

"A number of DHBs had over-promised to their communities and unintentionally, but unfairly, raised the expectations of their patients as a result."

This year, health boards have been scrambling to meet a Government deadline of September 30, by which time no patient on a waiting list was to have been there longer than six months.

As a result at least 20,000 people were culled from lists.

Only boards which complied will get the new money, which will be made available from next month.


SCRUBBING UP

* An extra $200 million over four years for elective surgery.

* 10,000 more operations a year.

* 6000 more people received elective surgery last year than 1999.