WCHWC's view of future

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 409, 22 October 1991, Page 11

WCHWC's view of future

The Health Watch Committee had prepared a list of services they see as important to retain, and lists of which are essential for government funding and which are lower priority. These lists are defined by the government as positive and negative. That is, positive items that should be funded by government, and negative items that should not be on the list. Services which the WHWC sees as impor-

tant to retain include: Health education & promotion; general practitioners and their practice nurses; chemists; dentists & dental therapist; nursing services - Plunket, Hospital and community; support volunteers; home care; ambulance (should be trained and efficient, local -both road and air); physiotherapist; treatment and assessment area (for patients prior to transfer out of the area if necessary); Hospital and other social workers.

Also on the list is affordable access to: paediatric care, secondary care services, specialist clinics, staff (health workers) education, radiology and scan, laboratory and diagnostic, cervical screening (Well Women's). Positive list Those aspects they see as essential for government funding include: Maternity & obstetric; neonatal care; prevention; Acute medical (diabetes - asthma-heart disease, surgical, or-

thopaedic, cancer); cervical screening; miscarriage care; burns; sexually transmitted diseases; fractures; acute back problems; paediatric (acute, abuse, immunity, congenital, glue ear, tonsils, ENT, diabetes, asthma); contraception (access to services, education); general surgery, acute eye problems, diagnostic laboratory; counselling (drug & alcohol abuse); accessibility (GP, Spec, X rays); education - prevention; transport;

geriatric. care (assessment) Negative list Aspects seen by the WHWC as lower priority for funding include: high tech neonates; non-ur-gent surgery (eg hysterectomy, varicose veins, piles, bunions); infertility (treatment, diagnosis, IVF); cosmetic surgery, obesity, joint replacement, backs - non acute, adult ENT, cataracts, dermatology, haemotological.