National’s Backtrack On Health Funding Not Surprising

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi
Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) says the National Party
backtracking on its promise to match health funding with
inflation if it were in Government – as reported today in
the media – should come as no surprise.

NZNO Chief
Executive Paul Goulter said politicians seem always willing
to cut their health spending commitments when the cost of
maintaining a fit-for-purpose health system starts to
rise.

“To not keep up with inflation in funding health
would see the health system going backwards, resulting in
further service cuts during a time of national
crisis.

“We should not expect to see Governments or
opposition parties changing their commitments just because
the rate of inflation has become uncomfortably
high.

“This is the sort of mis-prioritisation of
health that has been done by successive governments for
decades. It is why our health system is in crisis now, and
hard-working nurses, health care assistants, midwives and
kaimahi hauora end up carrying the burden through poor wages
and conditions.”

He said breaking funding promises
will only increase workers’ dissatisfaction and
disillusionment and undermine the public’s faith that the
health system can progress beyond the
crisis.

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