Memo Musa, the chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), said the CTU analysis health workforce training, contracted services, maternity services and public health service funding alone were short $36 million.
Grant Brookes, the NZNO president, said the lack of investment in the workforce might be the “tipping point that triggers many in an aging nurse workforce to hang up their boots”.
“New Zealand is facing new public health threats because of the increased movement of people, animals and food around the world, and this, combined with environmental effects of climate change mean the public health budget must incorporate funds for these contingencies,” he said.
Musa said inadequate funding for preventive healthcare and community nursing resulted in more people going to the hospitals “which was not the way to keep New Zealanders well, or the best use of public funds”.
“Public health is yet again on the receiving end of cuts when the evidence points to this being an area of increasing need and means our more vulnerable people missing out. He said preventable diseases were on the rise and public education and upskilling were vital to stop spreading fatal diseases.
The CTU and Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) analysis of the Vote Health budget is available at: http://www.union.org.nz/did-the-budget-provide-enough-for-health-2017/
An earlier CTU and ASMS analysis of new mental health funding is available at: https://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Budget-2017-mental-health-funding-boost-a-cut-in-real-terms_168083.3.pdf
