Surgery fees out but other areas at risk

By FRANCESCA MOLD

Health Minister Annette King has ruled out suggestions that Hawkes Bay hospital patients may be asked to make part-payments for elective surgery, but has left open the possibility of charges for other services.

The Bay District Health Board's annual plan raised the idea of co-payments for non-urgent operations, laboratory testing, transport and accommodation, urgent medical care and pharmaceuticals.

The part-payments, along with possible rejigging of services and cuts, have been proposed as a way of reducing the board's budget by $10 million so it can reach break-even point by 2005.

Board chairman Kevin Atkinson said spending on overheads would be reduced but services might also have to be cut.

"Personally I can't face cutting elective [non-urgent] surgery any further, so we're going to push the ministry into allowing us to charge some kind of co-payment," he said.

Mrs King came under fire in Parliament yesterday for signing off an annual plan that contained suggestions of co-payments.

The minister confirmed the board had asked if it could explore areas of co-payments.

"There has been no agreement on co-payments, although co-payments already exist," she said.

"No provision would be made for co-payments for electives [surgery] for public patients."

A spokesman for the minister later said the board was welcome to come up with ideas for saving money but any service cuts and charges must be approved by Mrs King.

Bay patients are already charged for some services, including some ambulance transfers to hospital, pharmaceuticals, dental and diagnostic services.

National's health spokeswoman, Lynda Scott, said the situation in Hawkes Bay was mirrored nationally by other boards that were trying to make cuts so they could pay off their deficits.

Services could be cut throughout the country.

Dr Scott said it was unfair that the minister was ruling out part-payments for surgery because it was not Government policy, yet she was not offering any solutions for health boards with large deficits.

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