>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) >Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2000 00:27:45 -0400 >Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 11:50:43 -0700 >From: Sid Shniad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Labour to abolish market-led health model - THE EVENING POST > > >THE EVENING POST (New Zealand) 2 AUGUST 2000 > >Labour to abolish market-led health model > >Health Minister Annette King today unveiled the Government's health >reform legislation, promising to restore public confidence in the health >system by abolishing the market-driven model. > >"This is a day that we've worked towards for eight months since we >became government; it is an honouring of a commitment that we made >to the electorate not in one election but in three elections," Mrs King >said ahead of the legislation being tabled in Parliament today. > >"(It was) a commitment that we were going to restore a New Zealand >public health service that was based on co-operation and collaboration, >that we were going to replace the current commercial and competitive >model, that we were going to ensure that local communities once again >had a say in the running of health services, and that we were going to >focus on improving people's health as the fundamental role of a health >service." > >The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Bill would dismantle >the 23 existing Hospital and Health Service boards, and would replace >them with 21 elected boards by late 2001. > >It would also disestablish the Health Funding Authority, whose >functions would be absorbed by the Ministry of Health, and would clear >the way for most health funding to be handed directly to district health >boards. > >That wouldn't happen, however, until at least July 2002, or later for >some boards. > >The legislation would require boards to develop plans for improving >the health of people in their region, in line with a National Health >Strategy. This would set goals in key areas such as obesity, diabetes, >immunisation, cancer and Maori health. > >District health boards would be established as Crown entities and >would have up to 11 members - seven elected and up to four appointed >by the Minister. Each board would be required to have at least two Maori >members, with as many as six required in areas where there is a high >Maori population. > >Their meetings would be open to the public, like those of the old area >health boards, which were established by the last Labour Government >then disestablished by National after it took office in 1991. > >Hospital and Health Service (formerly crown health enterprise) board >meetings weren't open and their members were appointed as directors. > >While most funding would be handled at district health board level, >some services - such as national screening programmes or Plunket - >would still be funded nationally. > >The first board elections would coincide with local government >elections next year and the single, transferable voting system would be >used - a different form of achieving proportional representation to MMP - >to ensure a more "representative" board, Mrs King said. > >The Bill would allow the establishment of a health workforce advisory >committee to advise the Government on long-term staffing needs. >Currently, the health sector faced a shortage of vital staff, including >nurses. > >It would establish mortality review committees to look at topics such >as child and maternal mortality. > >For the first time in social legislation, the Government has included a >clause stating its commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, which Mrs King >conceded today carried legal risks. > >But she said the Government was committed to working in >partnership with Maori and improving their health. > >The Bill is to get its first reading in Parliament next week and will be >sent to the health select committee for public submissions. - NZPA > > > > > > ............................................. > Bob Olsen, Toronto [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ............................................. > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
