More signs of growing unmet health need

MONDAY 27 JULY 2015

More signs of growing unmet health need

“The latest figures out of a district health board are further evidence that an increasing number of people are not getting the health care they need from public hospitals,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS).

He was commenting on the release of information obtained from Waitemata DHB under the Official Information Act by Labour’s health spokesperson, Annette King, about the number of patients sent back to their own GPs after a referral without having a first specialist assessment. This has risen from 4055 people in 2013/14 to 5617 in 2014/15.

“This is clearly a DHB under pressure to meet the health needs of its communities, and this should send a very clear message to the Government about the growing levels of unmet health need in this country,” says Mr Powell. Waitemata is not unique in being under this pressure.

“The reality is that DHBs and the highly trained health professionals who work there are doing their best to provide high quality health care to all who need it, but they’re struggling. The fact that more than 5000 people have been bounced back to their GPs should be causing sleepless nights within the Government.”

A joint Council of Trade Unions-ASMS analysis of this year’s Budget funding for health reported on a high level of hidden unmet health need across a range of services, including primary care, dental, mental and sexual health, as well as medical and surgical specialities, and disability support.

It drew attention to a number of reports indicating that Taranaki DHB had seen a 142% increase in people needing a first specialist appointment for orthopaedic surgery being referred back to their GPs. In the Bay of Plenty, a 396% increase had been recorded, while the West Coast DHB had sent out 200 letters declining orthopaedic first specialist assessments in 2013/14 (up from just 11 in 2011/12). Another report showed more than a quarter of ear, nose and throat patients requiring surgery were being turned away from Dunedin Hospital.

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