Hawkes Bay DHB needs at least an extra $8 million

Hawkes Bay DHB needs at least an extra $8 million

New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) delegate and clinical nurse specialist Sara Mason is calling on the Government to invest at least $8 million over what is expected for Hawkes Bay DHB in Thursday’s Budget, just to maintain Hawkes Bay’s health care services.

“I decided to become a nurse because I was inspired to follow in the path of nursing pioneers. I can use my initiative and training to improve someone’s quality of life” she says.

“But now, we are seeing more and more pressure on community services because people aren’t getting the right care they need early enough and we don’t have funding models that work for patients or the people working in long term care. I had three generations living in the same house- my patient, his daughter and her daughter, and all had breathing problems, but I was only funded and approved to treat the grandfather. This doesn’t make any sense.”

“The nursing team has been doing more with less for years. It’s getting to the point that we’re really worried about our colleagues, our patients, our jobs and the level of health care available for Hawkes Bay. The DHB can only do so much with the dollars it is given and our DHB has done well with little for a long time. But more planning and support by the Government is needed to make it sustainable"

“We’re nurses. We want to provide high quality care for everyone who needs it and that’s what we’d prefer to be doing. But when the health system is underfunded by over a billion dollars– we have to speak up. New Zealanders need to know what’s actually going on.”

“If our health system was properly funded we could look at long term care and prevention, keeping people well not just treating the worst disease which has the highest funding scheme. Nurses can use your health resources better if we are trusted to! Nurses are working for free to make ends meet with their own time, but we need more resources and flexibility to use our skills to support care in the community.”

“We think people in Hawkes Bay want great healthcare they can access where and when they need it, too.”

Ends.

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