KEY POINTS:
Part one of National's official health policy, released yesterday, is a weak shadow of the big plans outlined in the leaked version made public by the Government on Wednesday.
National intends to publicise its health plans in a series of announcements on its own timetable - but it has raised no objections to the Herald's report of the leaked policy yesterday.
The official policy, part one, commits the party to maintaining the current structure of the health system and continuing the Labour-led Government's overall spending plan, from $12 billion this year, to $14.3 billion in 2011/12.
Bureaucracy would be reduced under National and the salary savings spent on increasing the quantity of health care; doctors and nurses would be given more say in running public hospital services; and district health boards would share more clinical services.
GPs would be given greater power to order expensive diagnostic tests and would perform more minor surgery. Primary health clinics would host specialist assessments, providing care more quickly and closer to home.
Greater and more consistent use would be made of private hospitals to reduce elective surgery waiting lists in the public sector.
"If the private sector had longer-term contracts with district health boards it would be able to plan for the demand and respond with better prices," part one says.
"National will focus on getting patients seen and treated, and not obsess about where this gets done."
Not mentioned in part one are the new-spending plans in the leaked documents, including the construction of 20 new operating theatres, training an extra 750 health workers, a health-insurance premium rebate for the elderly and a prostate cancer screening programme.
Party leader John Key drew attention to his commitment to Labour's health funding path.
"National will spend that extra funding more wisely than Labour, as well as getting more effective care from existing spending."
Health Minister David Cunliffe accused National of borrowing Labour's policy - reversing a claim National levels atLabour.
Part one drew positive responses, however, from the private hospitals industry - and from the Medical Association, which welcomed the focus on the need for a greater say for clinicians.
Ian McPherson, chief executive of Southern Cross Healthcare, was "delighted that perhaps politicians have heard us" on the need for longer-term planning of private hospital contracting for health board-funded elective surgery.
