MEDIA RELEASE
10 November 2004
Board concerned at changes to aged care funding
Since October 2003 responsibility for planning and funding Disability Support Service (DSS) contracts passed from
Government to District Health Boards. This includes services provided by community providers such as rest home care
contracts, dementia, hospital and psychogeriatric services.
Hawke’s Bay District Health Board chair, Kevin Atkinson is concerned about a change in Government policy reducing risk
pool funding from two years to one which is anticipated to produce a $1.7 million funding gap for the DHB in the
2003/2004 year and approximately $2 million in the 2004/2005. Mr Atkinson comments “When DHBs accepted responsibility
for managing disability support service contracts Government indicated that it would provide two year’s of risk pool
funding.
“Risk pool funding was an important assurance for us as we already had concerns about the level of DSS funding being
supplied to DHBs. We have now been advised that access to risk pool funding for the current year is not being made
available, and while we are currently reviewing the budget implications it is very clear that taking millions out of
funding for Hawke’s Bay’s vulnerable aged or disabled population will have significant implications.”
The Board has contacted the Ministry of Health voicing its concern that existing aged residential care providers receive
appropriate and adequate funding and are hopeful of reaching a satisfactory resolution on this issue.
END