New Zealand’s health sector is in crisis, but how do we fix it? – The Front Page

Cancer patients will see an increased rate of new drugs entering the country.

The parties of the coalition Government were staunch critics of the state of our healthcare system while on the opposite side of the aisle.

Now that they are in charge though, the heat is being put on them to sort out everything from months-long waiting times to see specialists to gaps in the mental health system.

And most recently, Budget 2024 did not deliver the much-promised funding for 13 new cancer drugs, in a move that has shocked advocates.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the Government needed more time to find the money, but reassured it was “still a priority”.

“We are going to do it, we are going to deliver on it, it’s a promise we have made,” Luxon insisted.

Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland told The Front Page it was a huge disappointment.

“The primary problem is that politicians can’t be seen to be instructing Pharmac as to what drugs they can and cannot fund. That being said, it’s certainly happened in the past on both sides of the political spectrum,” Mulholland said.

“This is just simply an outcome of a broken system on the mere fact that Pharmac has been underfunded now for some time so politicians are put in the position of picking winners and losers.”

Mulholland said people would freely admit the health sector is in a crisis.

“Whether that be waiting time at ED, the struggle to see a GP, or medicine access. I think there’s urgent action needed especially in terms of the health workforce.

Most recently, Health Minister Shane Reti announced $30 million for faster access to radiology services. He said at the moment, some New Zealanders are having to wait weeks or months to see a hospital specialist, who then refers them to radiology – where they then wait longer.

“It’s a better system and it will see patients not having to wait longer, which can only be a good thing. I think though you’re also going to have some problems when treating the patients. It’s one to get a diagnosis but there’s another problem and that is having the patient in front of the specialist,” Mulholland said.

Stories about New Zealanders resorting to crowdfunding and seeking health treatment overseas have always been present. Last week, a mother who expects to die within five years if she doesn’t pay the $180,000 needed to travel to Germany for surgery, sparking others to come forward with similar stories.

“They don’t get any easier to here. The number of stories I hear about is certainly on the increase. They’re not going away anytime soon,” Mulholland said.

In Budget 2024, $8.15 billion was set aside for healthcare over the next four years, while $14.7b was used to fund tax cuts over the same period.

Mulholland said that he has spoken to plenty of people who don’t need their tax cut and would rather see more money go towards the healthcare system, so that it’s fully funded and there for them when they get sick.

Asked what that tax cut means for those who fundraise for cancer drugs and surgery, Mulholland said: “It means nothing.”

“You’re looking at thousands and thousands of dollars where in other countries they are able to access it via a prescription. It’s insane.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more about the challenges facing New Zealand’s health system and how we might be able to fix it.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.