Great writing, and a worthy contribution to the national conversation,
However, hospitals are not the only problem here. How about the community mutualisation of the failing corporatised local GP clinics? Starting with those in the Far North and Lower Hutt. Very obviously, the profit motivated medical business is simply not able to deliver personal healthcare at the local level in the way that people really need, and in a way that satisfies the ethics of the medical profession. Local governments should be empowered to take over the clinics, as a part of their well-being mission, with a mutualised interest held by the registered patients,
Good observation. William. Mutualisation of corporatised GP clinics could work in very high population areas. I would hesitate to recommend it in my rohe tho. Low decile and near the top in the kiwi poverty stakes. The medical profession today is falling between the twin stools 🪑 🪑 of the pure profit objective and public welfare needs which requires benign government administration and much more tax payer funding. My experience is the latter can work and I cite the hydro power schemes of the 1950s and the old Housing Corporation - both since corporatised with resulting hardship .
Privatising health along USA lines, based on private health care schemes, might work for those in jobs but not for older folks in retirement
Sigh. Your dad did that too. We disagree on this and I thank you for giving it some time. One point I think you may have discounted is the value of the hospital real estate and rundown buildings. How easy to bowl them and build fit for purpose ones on less valuable dirt using ACC 50 billion. A JV with the PMs contacts in the US could make it happen if carefully managed. I've just had my power and gas bills and associated personal info sold to Mitsubishi
Good column but I am uncertain why you imagine you have a life expectancy of 74. That is the average life expectancy of ALL Maori males, including smokers, the obese, the reckless and the poor. I assume as a member of the professional government / bureaucratic class, you are not poor and have all the advantages of middle-class life, which include knowing your way around the health system (and how to access its services). Especially as you work in it.
Unless you have secret vices or genetic abnormalities that may shorten your life, I suspect life expectancy for a person like you is much longer — and no doubt the same as a Pakeha in your position.
Good post until you implied a government ‘ministry of truth a la Orwell’ is a smart idea. Giving the government of the day the power to dictate what is truth to us plebs. What could go wrong?
The Fourth Labour Government did not announce the sale of the Housing Corporation or the cancelation of the Family Benefit for mum's let alone the imposition of GST.
I respectfully suggest that given the malaise in the Health sector a very neat economic solution would be a sale of the hospital land banks to subdividers and sale of ACC $50b to an overseas private buyer.
Not something either of us would endorse.
If it's being ruled out let's hear that from Dr Reti eh
There is no way to make public healthcare profitable (your so called 'very neat economic solution' is a nonsense as it requires far more investment than you would ever make in profit, it would also make all contracts null and void which would only speed up health staff departing therefore pushing up salaries, making the situation even worse, infrastructure costs wouldn't suddenly get better, it's a laughable idea).
There is also no political motive for it as there is only electoral disaster in such a move (I know "but Roger Douglas did", well Roger Douglas lost the Finance portfolio over 35 years ago! Douglas Derangement Syndrome surely has an expiry date!!!).
Finally, no one credible takes this seriously because it is only spread by fear mongering conspiracy theorists because it requires a rejection of motives for political actions (there's no logic to privatising public health... but that doesn't matter because these people are just monsters who will intentionally lose their well paid jobs and sink their political parties out of commitment to anarcho-capitalism and/or the New World Order!!!).
It makes no logical or practical sense to privatise the public health system, it is a tiresome conspiracy theory that I'm giving too much credit by even acknowledging it or engaging further.
There is no cogent argument FOR it happening to the NZ health system, I only entertained the idea to highlight how ludicrous it is and now I regret even doing that.
May you have a longer and happier life!
Great writing, and a worthy contribution to the national conversation,
However, hospitals are not the only problem here. How about the community mutualisation of the failing corporatised local GP clinics? Starting with those in the Far North and Lower Hutt. Very obviously, the profit motivated medical business is simply not able to deliver personal healthcare at the local level in the way that people really need, and in a way that satisfies the ethics of the medical profession. Local governments should be empowered to take over the clinics, as a part of their well-being mission, with a mutualised interest held by the registered patients,
Good observation. William. Mutualisation of corporatised GP clinics could work in very high population areas. I would hesitate to recommend it in my rohe tho. Low decile and near the top in the kiwi poverty stakes. The medical profession today is falling between the twin stools 🪑 🪑 of the pure profit objective and public welfare needs which requires benign government administration and much more tax payer funding. My experience is the latter can work and I cite the hydro power schemes of the 1950s and the old Housing Corporation - both since corporatised with resulting hardship .
Privatising health along USA lines, based on private health care schemes, might work for those in jobs but not for older folks in retirement
Sigh. Your dad did that too. We disagree on this and I thank you for giving it some time. One point I think you may have discounted is the value of the hospital real estate and rundown buildings. How easy to bowl them and build fit for purpose ones on less valuable dirt using ACC 50 billion. A JV with the PMs contacts in the US could make it happen if carefully managed. I've just had my power and gas bills and associated personal info sold to Mitsubishi
Remember the infamous Crown Health Enterprises of the mid-1990s? Regardless of what's on table, the public needs to be vigilant.
Good column but I am uncertain why you imagine you have a life expectancy of 74. That is the average life expectancy of ALL Maori males, including smokers, the obese, the reckless and the poor. I assume as a member of the professional government / bureaucratic class, you are not poor and have all the advantages of middle-class life, which include knowing your way around the health system (and how to access its services). Especially as you work in it.
Unless you have secret vices or genetic abnormalities that may shorten your life, I suspect life expectancy for a person like you is much longer — and no doubt the same as a Pakeha in your position.
Good post until you implied a government ‘ministry of truth a la Orwell’ is a smart idea. Giving the government of the day the power to dictate what is truth to us plebs. What could go wrong?
That was a joke. In reality such an organisation does exist - it is called The Disinformation Project and was funded by the previous government.
Phew!!! You had me going there for a minute.
And yes I’m well aware of the Disinformation Project (a la Orwell).
I had a good chuckle at your expense.
A dollop of Skepticism is your friend.
The Fourth Labour Government did not announce the sale of the Housing Corporation or the cancelation of the Family Benefit for mum's let alone the imposition of GST.
I respectfully suggest that given the malaise in the Health sector a very neat economic solution would be a sale of the hospital land banks to subdividers and sale of ACC $50b to an overseas private buyer.
Not something either of us would endorse.
If it's being ruled out let's hear that from Dr Reti eh
Why would a minister rule out a frankly ludicrous conspiracy theory? Does the minister also need to rule out snake oil?
Obviously you accept privatisation happens. Is there a cogent argument against it happening to the NZ health system?
Sigh, yes.
There is no way to make public healthcare profitable (your so called 'very neat economic solution' is a nonsense as it requires far more investment than you would ever make in profit, it would also make all contracts null and void which would only speed up health staff departing therefore pushing up salaries, making the situation even worse, infrastructure costs wouldn't suddenly get better, it's a laughable idea).
There is also no political motive for it as there is only electoral disaster in such a move (I know "but Roger Douglas did", well Roger Douglas lost the Finance portfolio over 35 years ago! Douglas Derangement Syndrome surely has an expiry date!!!).
Finally, no one credible takes this seriously because it is only spread by fear mongering conspiracy theorists because it requires a rejection of motives for political actions (there's no logic to privatising public health... but that doesn't matter because these people are just monsters who will intentionally lose their well paid jobs and sink their political parties out of commitment to anarcho-capitalism and/or the New World Order!!!).
It makes no logical or practical sense to privatise the public health system, it is a tiresome conspiracy theory that I'm giving too much credit by even acknowledging it or engaging further.
There is no cogent argument FOR it happening to the NZ health system, I only entertained the idea to highlight how ludicrous it is and now I regret even doing that.
Shades of conspiracy theorist syndrome here!