The Government could be choosing to invest in our healthcare system, while keeping down everyday costs such as public transport, housing, GP visits and prescriptions.
The National Party’s tax plan promised a lot but is delivering peanuts, especially for those who need it most. Pensioners receive just $2.15 a week, not enough to keep up with the cost of living. Cuts to public services will leave many people worse off than before the National-led coalition Government took office. People have told me that it feels like it is giving with one hand, while taking away even more with the other.
Our healthcare system is unfortunately suffering because of the Government’s reckless cuts and poor choices. With healthcare workers stretched, wait times up and hospital builds being downgraded, it’s clear National hasn’t provided enough funding for safe staffing and infrastructure.
Doctors are calling on Shane Reti to increase funding for GPs, so that the price of a doctor’s visit doesn’t accelerate out of reach. Costs for doctors’ clinics have increased by 9%, but National’s Budget gave them about half of that. National is well aware this isn’t enough funding, but has chosen to prioritise billions in tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies over our health.
National has also chosen to bring back the $5 charge to pick up most medication, which means less people will collect their prescriptions. Funding GPs and prescriptions so that people can seek healthcare earlier would help to stem the flow of people ending up in hospital.
In Government, Labour boosted our health workforce and made doctors’ visits cheaper for community service card holders by $20 to $30 every visit. At that time, more than half a million people didn’t go to their local GP because of the cost, and now this number will only increase.
Each day that the National Government fails to properly invest in our health system, they’re choosing to risk the wellbeing of our families and communities. We’ll keep holding the Government to account, to ensure they don’t take our healthcare system any further backwards.
