Michael Woodhouse - Health

18 May 2018

Labour’s Budget is putting less new money into health this year than National added last year - with just $731 million extra compared to National’s $924 million boost in Budget 2017, National Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says.

“It beggars belief that Labour set expectations so high for this Budget and not only have they not delivered on their promises, but they are delivering less than National would have if we were in Government.

“Over the next four years Labour will spend an additional $2.9 billion on health, compared to National’s Budget 2017 which spent an additional $3.9 billion.

“The Government has been railing about a so-called “crisis” in health but are fronting up with lower funding increases, less money for drugs, no Dunedin Hospital rebuild, and nothing extra for mental health.

“The reshuffle of funding between DHBs and Pharmac has resulted in the overall budget for medicines falling by $200 million over four years. This is a total abdication of Labour’s pre-election promise to spend more on new medicines including for rare diseases.

“David Clark’s Dunedin constituents will be hugely disappointed to see no money for constructing a new Dunedin Hospital. He will now struggle to meet his pledge to build it faster than the previous Government.

“New mental health initiatives have been cut following the axing of National’s $100 million social investment fund from Budget 2017. The only two mental health initiatives from this Budget ARE a $10 million youth pilot and the continuation of the already pledged health professionals for Canterbury and Kaikoura.

“And who can even say where the funding is for the National Cancer Agency, teen health checks, autism funding, free health checks for seniors or increased breast screening promised by the coalition parties in the lead up to the election.

“In spite of borrowing more and taxing more, Labour has somehow conspired to spending less on health than National did.

“The sector and the public will be disappointed when they realise the wrappers from the lolly scramble were empty.”

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