Media statement
For immediate release
9 December 2008
Private hospital capacity to reduce public waiting list
UnitedFuture Leader and Associate Minister of Health Hon Peter Dunne is determined to reduce elective surgery waiting
lists by making use of private hospital capacity as set out in the National/UnitedFuture Confidence and Supply
Agreement.
“It is my intention to develop a strategy that will alleviate the stress for those people currently languishing on the
public waiting list by significantly reducing their wait for surgery,” said Mr Dunne.
“The current situation is that the public health system is failing to keep up with the demands being placed on it and
will continue to do so unless that demand is substantially reduced.”
“At the same time there is under-utilised capacity in the private surgical sector.”
“Reducing waiting lists for elective surgery for those who are likely to wait longer than 6 months by requiring DHBs to
contract out work to private hospitals has been a central plank of UnitedFuture’s health policy over the last six
years.”
“The provision of timely elective surgery procedures is important to the wellbeing of a growing number of older New
Zealanders. As the baby boom generation reaches retirement the demands on ‘quality of life’ healthcare, of which
elective surgery is the obvious example, will only increase.”
“It is critical that we reduce the growing elective surgery waiting lists as quickly as possible, not only for those
currently stuck within the system but for the wellbeing of many more to follow over the next decade or so,” said Mr
Dunne.
ENDS