Health and Politics – National’s backtrack on health funding not surprising

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the National Party backtracking on its promise to match health funding with inflation if it were in Government – as reported today in the media – should come as no surprise.

NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter said politicians seem always willing to cut their health spending commitments when the cost of maintaining a fit-for-purpose health system starts to rise.

“To not keep up with inflation in funding health would see the health system going backwards, resulting in further service cuts during a time of national crisis.

“We should not expect to see Governments or opposition parties changing their commitments just because the rate of inflation has become uncomfortably high.

“This is the sort of mis-prioritisation of health that has been done by successive governments for decades. It is why our health system is in crisis now, and hard-working nurses, health care assistants, midwives and kaimahi hauora end up carrying the burden through poor wages and conditions.”

He said breaking funding promises will only increase workers’ dissatisfaction and disillusionment and undermine the public’s faith that the health system can progress beyond the crisis.