Health funding under the knife, says Sowry

District health boards (DHBs) face massive funding cuts, National Party health spokesman Roger Sowry said today.

Mr Sowry released what he said were secret pre-budget Health Ministry figures which showed DHB funding would be cut by more than $23 million dollars less in the May 24 budget.

The six South Island DHBs would bear the brunt of the cut, losing $15.319 million.

Seven of the 21 DHBs would get more funding, but only two - Lakeland and Wairarapa Health - would get more
than 1 per cent.

Mr Sowry said that in the 18 months Health Minister Annette King had been in charge, health providers were much more seriously in the red because she'd failed to secure appropriate funding.

"The deficit throughout the country has been estimated conservatively as being about $60 million for the current financial year. At the same time, hospitals have been put through an unnecessary and expensive health restructure."

Acting Health Minister Tariana Turia has disputed Mr Sowry's numbers, saying that health spending will increase in the budget.

"While final figures will remain confidential until the Budget, I can confirm that the statements made today by Mr Sowry are wrong and the figures he has bandied about are out of date," she said.

"They exclude significant parts of overall funding for district health boards, such as the Disability Support transfer to ACC, and new money for improving the blood service."

Mrs Turia said it appeared Mr Sowry's figures were based on funding offers made in March 2001 to individual District Health Boards and are not the official figures of the Ministry of Health.