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Health is not a priority for the National party, according to their leader. Given their record of closing hospitals, particularly within Wairarapa, I'm not surprised.
It was uncertainty in our health system that was one of the motivating reasons for me seeking election in 1999 and health is still a top priority for me and for the Labour Party.
Lynda Scott, National's health spokesperson, said she was frustrated by Brash's decision not to highlight health issues.
She is quoted as saying: "Don has determined five priorities for National and health is not one of those. They don't see it as something they can define themselves as clearly on. That has meant health has taken a lower profile."
Among its many achievements in health, Labour has brought back health boards, meaning the community has a say in where it wants it health services to head.
Health Minister Annette King is looking for "real people with real experience" to stand in this year's District Health Board elections.
Nominations are now open for October's DHB elections, which will use Single Transferable Voting (STV) for the first time.
Annette says she would like to see the boards include people with a wide variety of backgrounds and skills to ensure a greater community voice in DHB decision making.
The introduction of STV, where voters rank their desired candidates in order of preference, gives voters more choice and power to determine the total make-up of the boards.
Voters are not limited to just voting for a few candidates. They are able to rank as many or as few candidates as they wish under STV.
I join with the Minister to encourage people who want to make a difference to the health of their community to act now.
For further information on standing as a candidate, call toll-free on 0508 9 10 2004, visit www.moh.govt.nz/dhbelections or contact your DHB.
Nominations close midday on August 20.
All of New Zealand will have access by June next year to a free nationwide health information phone line that will incorporate PlunketLine and build on that line's success.
Healthline, a 24-hour service funded by the Ministry of Health at a cost of about $10 million a year, will be progressively rolled out around the country, and will be staffed by registered nurses able to advise on a range of health concerns - from symptom assessment to the location of after-hours medical services or late-night chemists.
Healthline will keep PlunketLine's valuable role in providing support for parents, as well as information on child health issues. Plunket nurses with specialist training in child and family health will deal with all calls needing parenting advice or Plunket (Well Child) services.
Healthline will be available free 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for callers within New Zealand, including those calling from mobile phones, once this service goes national.
Healthline services have been operating in four pilot areas (Northland, East Coast/Gisborne, Canterbury and the West Coast).
These will be expanded to provide a national service, beginning in the South Island in October, with Wellington and the Wairarapa on board by the end of this year. Full national coverage will be achieved by the end of June 2005.
The existing Healthline and PlunketLine phone numbers will continue to operate.
Telephone services similar to Healthline have operated in the USA for more than 20 years and are also found in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Scandinavia, France, Belgium and Portugal.
It's world breastfeeding week this week and Masterton's Choice Health have again run a multimedia art competition to celebrate the event. Entries will be on display at the Masterton Library for a week, then here at Masterton Hospital for a week, and finally in Heart of Glass in Greytown for a week.
We need to do all we can in the Wairarapa. Despite all the evidence that breastfeeding is a baby's best source of food in their first six months, we have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates at six months in New Zealand.
Our statistics at birth and three months are a little better, but we have a long way to go to match other parts of the country.
Support and information are the keys to continued successful breastfeeding so we all have a part to play in supporting new mothers, so they can make the choices that are best for them and their baby.
Finally, I hope everyone in the Wairarapa DHB area has received or read the Living Well, Ageing Well document.
This is a booklet full of information on how we can stay healthy and active as we age.
Wairarapa has one of the fastest growing ageing populations in the country.
Over the next 20 years Wairarapa's population aged over 65 years will grow to 26 percent so we need to work faster than the rest of New Zealand to recognise and plan to cope with this. Outreach clinics and health education services are expanding in Wairarapa and the cost of doctors visits and prescriptions decreased for those aged over 65 from July 1.
If you haven't received a copy of this booklet and would like one, you can contact the DHB communications unit on 06 946 9800 or those in South Wairarapa can call 0800 946 9800.
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