Grey Power welcomes the additional $42million investment announced by Health Minister Shane Reti this week to fill critical workforce gaps in our struggling hospital system. Waiting times for surgery have ballooned out and current staff are under enormous pressure. This investment was urgently needed.

What Dr Reti did not tackle was how to retain and support those doctors within the system so that they no longer feel compelled to seek a more attractive career overseas. Grey Power is concerned that we may recruit overseas doctors who have less experience and less commitment to remaining in New Zealand for the long-term. Why are the government not concentrating on how to make a life time career as a doctor in New Zealand worth staying here for as well?

To ease pressure on the over-stretched hospital system we need a well-resourced primary care system that provides effective, affordable, and available treatment and preventative health care nationwide. Many GP practices have closed their books, waiting times are 3-4 weeks and patients resort to visits to A&E, or calling an ambulance when they are seriously ill as they have had no easy access to a GP in a timely manner.

Grey Power is urging Dr Reti to urgently support our front-line primary care system as a priority. Fixing this will significantly reduce the pressures on the hospital system.

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