Many Maori kids still missing out

CONCERNED: Manaia Primary Health Organisation chief executive Chris Farrelly.

Many Maori children in Northland are still not making it to the doctor despite the introduction of free GP visits, according to Manaia Primary Health Organisation chief executive Chris Farrelly.

On October 1 Northland became the only region in the country to roll out free general practitioner visits, after-hours consultations and prescription fees for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Children under 6 were already free.

In the first three months the number of children who saw a GP rose by more than 500, but the rates of Maori children visiting GPs remained low. Mr Farrelly said the biggest increase in numbers in that three months was in non-Maori children. In some parts of the region the increase in Maori children had been just one per cent.

"We are concerned that the group that has the poorest health, and for whom we would like to see the greatest improvement, actually has the least," he said.

In the first three months of the programme the number of visits to a GP had risen from approximately 5000 to 5586, an increase of about 10 per cent. There had been a corresponding drop of about 10 per cent in the number of children aged 6 to 12 who presented at emergency departments.

"I think it's been a fantastic beginning," Mr Farrelly said.

"It's demonstrated that we in Northland have a very real commitment to our children."

The Government had provided for GP visits for children between 6 and 12 in last year's budget, effective from July 1 this year, but the Northland District Health Board chose to start it early, at a cost of $300,000.

Whangarei and Kaipara had seen a 12 per cent increase in doctors' visits for poor non-Maori children, but in the Far North there had been only a one per cent increase in young Maori patients, Mr Farrelly saying there were a number of reasons for that.

"A key issue for us is acceptability, especially cultural acceptability," he said (meaning how culturally acceptable it was to go to the doctor). Focus groups on whanau and tamariki-friendly healthcare were working on addressing that issue.

The DHB was also investigating other reasons including transport, how appropriate and approachable the services provided were.

"All these need to be addressed if we are going to reduce barriers to access for our most vulnerable population of children," he added.

"We would hope to see a reduction in health conditions that can be prevented if there is good, timely access to primary healthcare."

The biggest contributors to poor child health in Northland were respiratory conditions and skin infections.