|
Georgina Beyer MP has welcomed the government's decision to inject more than $32 million over the next three years into rural primary health care and said this would provide significant reassurance for Wairarapa.
Health Minister Annette King today announced she had accepted the recommendation of the Rural Expert Advisory Group that a primary health care premium be paid to help rural areas retain a skilled health workforce.
Mrs King said the actual additional funding allocated over the next three years was $6.5 million in 2002/03 and $12.9 million in each of the two subsequent years.
Georgina Beyer said the total of over $32 million is in addition to $4 million allocated to the rural bonus scheme and $1 million in each of the next two years for the rural locum scheme. It is also in addition to funding for primary health care to be delivered through Primary Health Organisations, many of which are likely to be established first in low-income, high health need rural areas.
"This package is important not only to reassure rural communities and to recognise the hard working doctors, nurses and other health workers who serve them, but also to underline our commitment to primary health care as the way forward for all New Zealanders," Georgina Beyer said.
The rural primary health care premium will be in two parts; the first is to enable extra payments to support primary health care workers to stay in rural areas, and the second to enable those practising in such areas to maintain reasonable oncall rosters.
Georgina Beyer said the reasonable roster allowance would be allocated on a case by case basis - targeted at practitioners who were on call every second or third night, or even every night.
"Establishing reasonable on-call rosters is important for several reasons. We need to maintain access for Wairarapa people to urgent primary health care out of normal business hours as well as aiding practitioner recruitment and retention. While rural New Zealand has a lot to offer a doctor and his or her family as a place to work and live, it is important that they have adequate time to enjoy it."
Ms King said the measures were the first elements in a more comprehensive rural health package still being developed.
"In the next financial year we will be working on two national initiatives to strengthen the viability of the rural workforce.
"The first will be a national recruitment service that will enable the current locum service to continue, and extend to long-term placements and permanent recruits. I will also be investigating incentives for new graduates to take up rural practice."
|
|
|
