Elective Surgery: Good policy or good politics? - 21 Nov 2012

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Elective Surgery: Good policy or good politics? - 21 Nov 2012

Katie Marriner
Surgery

There were around 13.8 million GP visits in the year to June 2011. Over the same period there were 154,000 surgical elective services provided. Katie Marriner asks commentators whether the resources and profile given elective surgery is warranted, or, is it largely populist political manoeuvring?

It's like clockwork. Four times a year, after the release of the health-target league tables, media releases scream out the successes of DHBs in the e