Media Release                                                24 March 2017

Hundreds of NZNO members have stepped out across the nation to Shout Out for health and join the PSA YesWeCare heath funding campaign. Members are now on the Auckland roadshow with the missing in action, life-size health worker cut-out figures. New research published in the NZ Medical Journal today about unmet primary health care need is stimulating the campaign further.

Auckland lead organiser Carol Beaumont has mobilised delegates across Auckland’s eight campaign locations.

“I’ve been talking to delegates all week and the stories of pressure and sadness about care rationing and the staffing squeeze are pouring out. This is a wake-up call to Government as the underfunding of healthcare in New Zealand really makes its mark,” Carol Beaumont said.

Today the New Zealand Medical Journal released research led by Phil Bagshaw, which concludes that at least a quarter of New Zealand’s population are indicating unmet healthcare need at the primary care level, that is, in the community.

NZNO CE Memo Musa said in response:

“NZNO supports the call by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists for an ongoing independent assessment of the level of unmet health need in New Zealand and we want it to be far reaching in order to understand and meet the population’s healthcare need.

“Phil Bagshaw’s research backs up what our members are saying about the increasingly higher needs of people coming to hospital and that this is because of funding gaps in community health at GP level.

 “Budget 2017 on 25 May will test the new prime minister’s ability to prioritise New Zealander’s healthcare needs and we expect a huge injection into health funding,” Memo Musa said.

Our latest blog by NZNO delegate, was posted today as part of the Shout Out for Health campaign.