KEY POINTS:
National would fully reinstate the dumped Plunketline, leader John Key announced today.
Mr Key used a campaign stop in Henderson today to announce a suite of minor maternity policies.
Included was a $3 million-a-year pledge to fully reinstate Plunketline, which was rebuffed by the Government in 2006.
The Health Ministry ended public funding for the Plunket-operated well-child phone service in favour of McKesson New Zealand, which operates Healthline and successfully tendered for an integrated service.
Plunket then collected 53,000 signatures on a petition calling on the Government to restore funding to its service and even though the health select committee recommended the Government do so, Cabinet decided otherwise.
Mr Key also said National would ensure that every new mother and baby would have weekly contact with a lead maternity carer (LMC) for the first nine weeks.
At present they receive six weeks of post-natal meetings.
Mr Key also announced a subsidy for retraining and refresher courses for obstetric-trained GPs wanting to return to maternity care and funding for meetings between LMCs and a woman's GP in high risk cases.
Mr Key said he was concerned women were not getting enough support during pregnancy.
However, under current arrangements women can already meet with hospital obstetricians and their LMC in high risk cases.
Mr Key said National would also work with district health boards (DHBs) to ensure women had a choice of birthing facilities as close to home as possible and ensure mothers had the chance to stay longer.
The suite of policies would cost another $11 million a year, he said.
- NZPA
