7 July 2017

Counties-Manukau DHB budget allocation short by over $21m this year

The thorough CTU Health Budget analysis out this week shows the raw facts of health underfunding that leaves Counties-Manukau short by at least $21m this year alone.

http://www.union.org.nz/did-the-budget-provide-enough-for-health-2017/ (table 1)

NZNO President, Grant Brookes reports that the CTU assess the total Health Budget shortfall for this year to be $215m across New Zealand. The 20 DHBs are underfunded by $107m in total.

“NZNO assesses that to keep up with population need, Budget 2018 would need to inject a total of $2b more to deliver what New Zealanders and the health workforce need to be running safely and effectively,” Grant Brookes said.

“Nurses at Counties-Manukau are telling me about the negative impact of this underfunding. They have been told by the DHB that there are over 160 nursing vacancies.

“As the number of patients coming into Middlemore Hospital’s Emergency Department hit record highs over the last four weeks, there have been cries for help on the staff Facebook page asking for people to pick up shifts every single day.

“This lack of health spending, combined with the lack of investment in the workforce may really be the tipping point that triggers many in an aging nurse workforce to walk away from the profession.

“As a mental health nurse I am particularly concerned that the government has little vision for helping communities with their population’s mental health care need.

“There was no ‘mental health care funding boost’ as proclaimed by the government and the mental health services spend only increased by 1.2 per cent when actually need is up around 5 per cent. The government has actually cut mental health funding and disguised this,” Grant Brookes said.

NZNO’s open letter to voters, urging the public to put health first this election can be found: https://nznoblog.org.nz/2017/04/03/an-open-letter-to-new-zealand-voters-we-need-your-help/ Members of the public can add their names in support of the letter as a comment at the bottom of the page.

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