Some very important points made here, validated by what I am concerned about watching the life of a GP relative. Exploiting them with work demands requiring hours far beyond the contracted number is widespread abuse of professionals trying to help the population.

- NZ GPs are doing about 46% of their work unpaid - often after hours and on weekends.

- Data shows that having a regular GP makes people 30 percent less likely to need to be admitted to a hospital.

- Data also shows that having a regular GP leads to a 30% reduction in all-cause mortality or death.

- New Zealand is about 2000 GPs short of what Australia has, and Kiwis deserve better. They do not deserve to be downgraded to higher risk by way of pharmacists or "physicians' assistants' acting as if they have training or overall perspective they don't have.

'Broken funding model' and 'anti-GP ideology' causing GPs to leave jobs, doctor says - RNZ News

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/594361/broken-funding-model-and-anti-gp-ideology-causing-gps-to-leave-jobs-doctor-says

#nz #nzpol #ActNZ #NZGPCrisis #NZHealthCrisis #NZHealthcare #nzhealth #nzpolitics #politics

So ACT is pushing to mimic UK erosion of quality and safety of NZ healthcare, by squeezing Kiwi pharmacists to do parts of GP jobs.

It may sound palatable to the naive, but pharnacist training is not GP training and in reality pressure incrementally increases to do inappropriate tasks, escalating patient risks.

Why might ACT be pushing for it? Well, ACT peddles anti-immigration sentiment and this deters overseas well-trained GPs from coming to save services in NZ. Getting GPs to NZ is a massive struggle at present.

So here come dubious alternatives ... which also happen to be pathways to ringfencing pharmacy and GP services so they are run mainly/only by big corporates, endlessly escalating obscene profits. Pharmacists who resist performing tasks beyond their training, for legitimate reasons, end up being sidelined from the profession and their contracts and services go to the corporates, profits often leaking to overseas. Smaller practices close, some merging under one corporate roof, meaning many patients have to travel further for services.

Just like with Farage's suggestions in the UK, it is likely that grotesque US corporate profiteers are secretly behind it. Be suspicious of the spin. It is a game of demolition.

#nz #kiwis #NZHealthcare #nzhealth #ActNZ

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/594306/act-wants-pharmacists-to-take-on-more-medical-services-to-help-out-gps

I'm thankful my hospital stay is "free" thanks to taxpayers (which ofc includes me lol) but all this waiting is crazy. I feel for those who are in the community waiting for months (maybe even years? Idk) just to have surgery.

#NZHealthcare #PublicSystems

I am lying on the couch and waiting for some heavy duty antibiotics to start working.

What sounded like an impossible wait of 6 weeks to see a GP has been dealt to on the same day through an online video doctor. This person has access to clinic notes and aside from the cost it was an excellent experience.

I would have had to spend more to attend an after hours clinic and would also have had to drive there while feeling unwell.

And my temperature is falling and I feel a bit better. No alcohol for the next 10 days, but that’s easily managed.

#NZHealthCare

I'm grudgingly catching up on my preventative health care today, booking a Mole Map appointment and signing up for BreastScreen Aotearoa.

And if anyone else in NZ is 45 and over and wants to sign up for a free mammogram here is the link I'm sticking it here because it took me WAY too long to find it on my own.

I may have just turned 45 but I am way overdue for both because
a) I had a melanoma at age 29 and
b) I have a breast cancer in my family history but not immediate enough family to qualify for a funded early mammogram (was my grandma and my aunt, but they only care if it was your mum or sister).

https://info.health.nz/keeping-healthy/cancer-screening/breast-screening/sign-up-for-your-two-yearly-mammogram

#NZHealthcare #Mammogram #SkinCancer