A courageous budget was needed, a weak budget was delivered
Nurses around the county are feeling disappointed that Budget 2014 has failed to deliver the increase in DHB funding
required to even maintain current service levels. More cuts and increased pressure on nurses will be the result, with
the inevitable flow on affect of compromised patient care.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) researcher and policy analyst, Dr Jill Clendon says, “There is nothing in the
Budget to address pay equity issues in the aged care sector. There is very little for Māori health services, or for
dealing with stagnant wages, growing food and interest rate costs which result in more inequality and poverty in our
communities. The overall emphasis remains on ongoing fiscal restraint in public services.
“A glimmer of hope for the nursing workforce is that $820 million is set aside to purchase national health services and
provide clinical training, but there are no specifications as to the level of funding that will be allocated to nursing.
Nurses are the largest workforce in the health sector and their needs should have been considered more carefully.”
“Extra money for screening for rheumatic fever does little to prevent the development of the disease – healthy housing
initiatives and increased housing stock may go some way to addressing the overcrowding that contributes to rheumatic
fever but will not necessarily address issues of poverty,” Clendon says.
“NZNO strongly support the extension of free GP visits and prescriptions for under 13 year olds and we hope that when
the details are released the scheme will be workable. Free health care for under 6s took several years to implement with
the level of funding insufficient for many general practices to be interested in the programme. We hope this won’t
happen again.”
“We agree with the Council of Trade Unions that increases to paid parental leave are welcome, and a victory for working
women everywhere. It’s a step in the right direction but we will continue to advocate for 26 weeks of paid parental
leave.”
“Overall, NZNO sees Budget 2014 as a budget of crumbs. There are so many areas where the Government could have taken
strong leadership and made a big difference for all New Zealanders. Instead we will all be left to pick up the pieces of
an increasingly stressed health system,” Dr Clendon says.
ENDS