National to unveil $100m plan for surgery

Don Brash

National will today announce plans to put an extra $100 million over three years into elective surgery, promising to significantly reduce hospital waiting lists.

It also plans to review baseline funding for much of the health sector to cut what it says is unnecessary waste and will spend fewer overall health dollars than planned by Labour.

National's smaller health budget will also be made possible by its decision to halt mid-way through the process the introduction of more universal subsidies for GP visits and prescription costs.

Some of the savings will be directed into other health areas, with extra dollars expected to be made available for some drugs.

Pharmac is set to be reviewed by National, which has attacked it for overzealous cost-cutting on pharmaceuticals.

National leader Don Brash will announce the details of the party's health policy today in New Plymouth.

Aside from redirecting more money into surgery, National plans to reduce waiting lists by increasing the number of private/public health partnerships in the sector. This would enable more private providers to do the surgery public hospitals cannot carry out.

Health Minister Annette King warned yesterday that National could be on track to reintroduce the hospital part-charges it instituted in the 1990s.

"Clearly they don't believe in fair funding for everyone. They've already said that people aged 25 to 64 won't get subsidised primary health care unless they qualify for the Community Services Card or the Kiwi PoorCard."

National has been drip-feeding details of its health intentions, aware it is a sensitive subject for voters and conscious that its cost-cutting plans would spark Labour accusations of a hidden health agenda.

As late as yesterday National insiders were debating whether to put the full policy out today - or to stage two policy releases.