Editorial: Hospital first stop for poor

Sickness is big business.

These next few months are to the health industry what early autumn is to apple picking.

And what an industry.

Our District Health Board is the single biggest employer in Hawke's Bay - and right now, business is booming.

Yesterday the board issued a statement warning that Hawke's Bay Hospital was at maximum capacity. The wards are now at full muster due to "a variety of complex medical conditions as well as accident-related injuries".

If only our accommodation sector boasted such a business dilemma.

The board's chief operating officer Warrick Frater said it was possible the hospital was experiencing the first impact of winter and that "people aren't getting to see their GP early enough".

The scenario highlights how many view the hospital's emergency department as their GP. In today's climate it's little wonder many opt for a free consultation on Omahu Rd.

It's also little wonder that in the same statement yesterday the board held tight to the strings of the public purse and insisted those with minor ailments see their GP before heading to hospital.

Last month the Children's Commissioner and respected Hawke's Bay pediatrician Russell Wills reiterated that poverty drove poor health outcomes for children - with some families unable to afford to send their loved ones to the doctor. Even more telling, he said public money needed to be reallocated to where it would make the biggest difference - "on the poorest and youngest".

Paradoxically, the board's most high-profile employee isn't afraid to loosen the public purse.

The truth is no matter how brightly the emergency department flashes its no-vacancy sign, the word "emergency" remains relative to wealth.