The Front Page podcast: How a critical lack of money is hurting the health system

Each week The Front Page takes you behind the scenes of the biggest story from the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. Today it's how a lack of money is causing serious health problems. Hosted by Frances Cook.

Major problems are bubbling up in our health system, and the root cause always seems to come back to a lack of resources and money.

We've seen it within the last week, where a series of Herald investigations uncovered serious issues with maternal healthcare, and vaccination rates of our children.

A watchdog found women with a life-threatening condition weren't treated properly because of a lack of hospital staff.

The investigations point to capacity problems extending beyond maternity services at Counties Manukau DHB, where problems like a lack of staff contributed to the recent death or stillbirth of three babies.

Apex Union has also warned life-saving diagnoses of conditions like cancer could be delayed for South Aucklanders because of a workforce crisis.

Meanwhile vaccination rates are dropping across the country as fewer families immunise their babies.

But while the debate has been centred around the impact of the anti-vaxx movement, the numbers paint a different picture.

Data shows the plummeting vaccination rates are being driven largely by the failure to immunise babies born into poor or Māori families - not by parents deliberately opting out.

Herald investigative journalists Nick Jones and Kirsty Johnston came on the Front Page podcast to talk about what's happening, and if there's any political appetite to fix it.

For the interview, watch the video or subscribe to the Front Page on podcast apps.

If you have questions about Herald investigations, or want to stay up to date on social media, you can find host Frances Cook on Facebook here , Instagram here and Twitter here .

You can read more about their investigations here:
Sepsis warning for pregnant women: Hospital staffing 'inadequate', watchdog finds
Counties Manukau DHB rejects 'alarmist' claims about possible X-ray and CT scan delays
PM Jacinda Ardern on strained Middlemore maternity services: 'consistent underfunding'
Anti-vaxx debate: Vaccination rates plummet for NZ babies

You can subscribe to this podcast on the podcast apps, including Apple podcasts here , iHeartRadio here , Spotify here , and Google podcasts here .