Health

Covid-19 has highlighted how important access to high-quality healthcare and mental healthcare is for leading long and healthy lives.However, the status quo isn’t acceptable. Our hospitals are run down and people are languishing on waiting lists. ACT has real, positive solutions to reform our healthcare system.

New Zealand is facing a mental health crisis. The system is a messy and disorderly mix of DHBs, NGOs, and primary care providers all struggling to be part of a coordinated response. ACT would create a separate, stand-alone Mental Health and Addiction agency on a national scale.

“A Ministerial Briefing leaked to the ACT Party shows Health Minister Andrew Little is fully aware of the shortages across the health sector and yet he continues to do nothing,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“The critical health worker shortage New Zealand faces has little chance of being fixed anytime soon if Health Minister Andrew Little’s performance in Parliament today is any indication,” says ACT’s Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“New Zealand is facing a chronic shortage of midwives as more and more choose to head overseas or not renew their certificates,” says ACT’s Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“Jacinda Ardern and her Government need to apply the enlightened approach of Education’s Equity Index to other areas such as health, where crude racial targeting is the norm,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Health Minister Andrew Little’s promise of a hundred million dollars for more ICU beds has resulted in just three additional beds,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“Minister of Health Andrew Little is spinning on the head of a pin so he doesn’t have to answer how many nurses New Zealand actually needs,” says ACT’s Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.