Business
Budget 2023: Fingers crossed for boost for health sector but scepticism remains
Health workers all over the country – and lots of their patients – have their fingers crossed for a big Budget boost but there is scepticism about whether that will happen.
Massive staffing shortages were contributing to huge waits for care – whether its a check-up with the GP, a new hip or even cancer surgery.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, a senior doctor’s union, said it had three priorities this Budget – workforce, workforce and workforce.
Executive director Sarah Dalson was not optimistic a lot of money was coming for health tomorrow, even if it really needed it.
The government had made some big health spends in recent years – including last year’s Budget commitment of $11 billion over two years.
But about $6b more was needed just to get in line with comparable countries, she said.
“I know the government considered they put a lot extra into health last year but a single shot is never going to get us there,” she said.
“We need sustained investment at Budget time, underpinned by proper workforce planning, which we still don’t have.”
Christchurch Hospital. Photo: Supplied / Te Whatu Ora
Christchurch Hospital has been in the spotlight for surgical waits that were so long even cancer patients were being delayed, with lack of staff a major factor in the problems.
A surgeon there, Chris Wakeman, said he would like to see more money ringfenced for paying private hospitals to do some of the work on the public lists.
He would also like to see the surgical days in public hospitals lengthened to include evenings and weekends, although that would have to be balanced with the risk of staff burnout, he said.
None of it was ideal but something was needed to make a substantial dent, he said.
“If you owned a factory and you were trying to clear a back load you would run longer hours, use more staff and use extra facilities to try and clear that backlog,” he said.
RNZ polled people outside Auckland City Hospital about what they wanted to see.
Two lab scientists said their teams needed money to help bring in more staff to improve conditions and reduce burn out.
“Everybody is at breaking point. We need additional FTE [full time equivalent positions] and we need them now,” they said.
A hospital patient out for a morning stroll had no hesitation about where he wanted to see the money go.
“To our nurses. They need it. They’re awesome. They’re supporting everyone else,” he said.
And another man with complex medical conditions said he wanted money for GPs – both cutting costs for high-use patients and increasing staffing.
“There’s a big queue at the GPs and because of that it’s harder to get an appointment,” he said.
New Zealand Nurse’s Organisation kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The New Zealand Nurse’s Organisation kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said it was GP nurses who really needed a fair deal.
She wanted money ringfenced to bring them – and iwi clinic nurses – in line with what nurses in hospitals were paid.
That would likely to cost at least $600 million.
“Of course we’ve got nurses going overseas so we’ve got to make them feel valued to retain them,” she said.
“But also nurses across the whole system have been under pressure so we can’t just say that those in Te Whatu Ora deserve more than those in the community,” she said.
Budget money should also go towards making sure people living rurally get the same access to good health care as those in in the cities, Nuku said.
VIA RNZ
New Zealand is known for its jaw-dropping scenery, first-class food and wine, and sheep – lots of them.
It stands at less than a third of what it was four decades ago, about 20 million sheep, as the industry competes with other land uses like dairy and beef farming.
That is an issue for a number of businesses, including marketing and innovation firm New Zealand Merino Company.
It has built a reputation for sourcing ethically produced merino wool for the rapidly expanding outdoor apparel market.
It now sells wool to more than 130 brands, covering everything from luxury fashion to footwear.
But demand for merino wool is outstripping supply in New Zealand, despite wool only making up 1 percent of the the world’s textile fibres.
New Zealand Merino Company’s Australian regional manager Steve Wainewright said that for the past five years, the company had been sourcing additional wool for its customers from Australia.
It now has about 130 Australian woolgrowers on the books, providing the business with 15 percent of its needs.
The company has 75 percent of the market share of apparel wool grown in New Zealand.
“In the past two or so years, New Zealand Merino has really stepped up and that’s aligned with the growing demand from brand partners for wool in this space,” Wainewright said.
“We’ve got orders from 10 micron to 40 micron wool, anywhere from that luxury fashion space to interior textiles and carpet.”
Sending Australian wool to NZ
Tasmanian woolgrowers Chris and Claire Headlam started supplying New Zealand Merino three years ago.
The couple who farm at Woodbury, halfway between Launceston and Hobart, were eyeing the market for some time.
They run just over 8000 merino sheep on their 1800-hectare property, Ratharney.
“This country lends itself to growing good, healthy sheep,” Headlam said.
“It’s just a good fit with some native run country and improved paddocks, as well as irrigation.
“It gives us a few options to run those stock.”
Some farmers have had to change their practices to meet New Zealand standards. File pic Photo: 123RF
To qualify for a three-year contract with New Zealand Merino, the Headlams ceased mulesing, a one-off procedure to remove folds of skins around a lamb’s rear and tail.
They also have to meet a globally recognised set of standards that cover fleece quality, animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility.
“The Kiwis ceased mulesing quite early in the piece because they could see the markets [they] could gain access to,” Headlam said.
“It was quite clever on their behalf.”
The pair recently spent some time in New Zealand as part of a study tour of its wool and textile industry, including its biggest outdoor merino brand, Icebreaker.
“I’ve always been a fan of wearing their Icebreaker apparel for nearly 20 years,” Headlam said.
“It’s cool to see that finally we’ve got some connection with a consumer through that channel, with New Zealand Merino and AWN.”
Claire Headlam said it was encouraging to see the entire supply chain on the same page.
“Icebreaker have been manufacturing quite sustainably for quite some time now,” she said.
“But their real goal is to remove plastic from their garments.
“It fits with some of our values as well, because we’re really trying to reduce the amount of plastic we use.”
This story was first published by the ABC.
VIA RNZ
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