WELLINGTON PRESS RELEASE
11 May
Event details:
Thursday 11 May
2.40pm Hospital stretcher photo opportunity on Parliament grounds
3.15pm Petition delivery at MP Grant Robertson’s office inside Parliament
Hospital stretcher action looks to highlight gaps in Wellington healthcare funding
A combined petition of over 6300 signatures, signed by 1399 Wellingtonians, urges dramatically increased funding for
healthcare services and will be delivered tomorrow carried on a hospital stretcher in time for this month's budget.
“It’s an emergency situation,” says campaign spokesperson, student Anna Scorey. “Since 2010 Government funding for the
country's 20 district health boards has been cut by $1.85 billion because inflation, a growing and ageing population and
the increasing cost of medicines have not been taken into account.”
“We are asking the Government to make up the missing $1.85 billion in this month's budget,” Anna says.
The petition will be accepted by local Labour MP Grant Robertson and Labour’s spokesperson for Health David Clark on
Thursday, 11 May.
Fellow campaigner and massage therapist Ann Cloet, says she has been impressed with the local support but also saddened
by the stories they’ve heard while out while out collecting signatures weekly.
“I think everybody should have access to proper healthcare and I feel like in New Zealand access is a real problem. So
as long as you get into hospital you’re going to get treated reasonably well but what’s not captured is the access and
the people who fall through the cracks” says Ann .
She says the underfunding is affecting all areas of the system, for example putting extra burdens on overworked staff.
“I think it’s clear the staff are really being squeezed and you’re dealing with people and people’s lives so you
shouldn’t be doing double shifts and things like that. It’s a profession to be respected and those guys should be
supported” she says.
Grant Brookes, the president of the NZ Nurses Organisation has said that the Capital and Coast DHB receives the lowest
funding per head of population of all the DHBs.
“Capital and Coast also provides tertiary level services for other DHBs in the central region for example neonatal
services, specialist paediatric services, cardiothoracic surgery, yet receives the lowest funding per head of population
of all the DHBs,” Brookes said.
Yesterday it was reported that Capital & Coast DHB aims to slash $33m through changes in clinical practice, improved management and increased revenue, and more
than $5m is to be saved through ‘service reviews’.
Campaigner and filmmaker Aaron Bell says the DHB should be fully funded to meet growing demands, and not be forced to
find more and more efficiencies. The $1.85 billion shortfall would pay for an extra 7400 doctors, 27,750 nurses or
111,000 hip operations he says.
“New Zealanders are entitled to a healthcare system that is there when and where they need it, that takes care of those
who care for us, and which provides quality mental health care. I’m really concerned we’re not getting any of that at
the moment,” says Aaron.
About ActionStation
ActionStation is an independent, crowdfunded community campaigning organisation representing over 150,000 New Zealanders
acting together to create what we cannot achieve on our own: a society, economy and democracy that serves all of us -
everyday people and the planet we love. http://www.actionstation.org.nz/