Reti, repeals and riveting reads

Welcome back! It’s been a hot and humid start to 2024 – we hope you’ve all managed to stay cool and enjoy a well-deserved break over the summer hiatus.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting year, what with a Treaty of Waitangi claim lodged over the Coalition Government’s proposed axing of Te Aka Whai Ora, fallout from the rewrite of the Smokefree legislation, nurse pay equity claims, the midwives’ class action case on funding to be heard in August, the potential for a volatile Waitangi Day…it has the makings of (another) busy news year.

And that’s before we count all the elections – the US, UK, India, Pakistan, Mexico, South Africa and Russia are among at least 64 countries heading to the polls in 2024, as well as the EU. I hope you like politics because they will be hard to avoid over the next 12 months. We’ll all be glued to our newspapers (or screens) to keep track of everything that’s going on.

A specialist GP sitting in the health minister’s chair has got to bring some benefit to the sector

Some big questions hang over the health sector – what will happen to Te Aka Whai Ora? What will be the outcome of the latest capitation review? How will the Government address the workforce shortage? What’s happening with localities and the iwi Māori partnership boards?

Health minister Shane Reti will have his work cut out for him. He’s under no illusion about the difficulty of his portfolio or the job ahead, telling media this month the health system is in “crisis”.

“The previous Government did not want to call it what it is; I have no issue doing that,” Dr Reti said. It sends a signal of urgency, he added.

Dr Reti has been visiting hospitals and primary healthcare providers throughout the country. It’s clear he is still getting a feel for what needs to be done, but he’s indicated a move away from centralisation and a focus on hard targets.

He has consistently said he believes the current funding model for general practice is not fit for purpose and is waiting for the review into capitation to provide advice on some sustainable solutions. The sector will be impatiently waiting to see what the Coalition Government will do to improve the health sector. So far, most of its efforts have been focused on repealing the work of the previous Labour Government.

However, health announcements before Christmas included $50 million to improve vaccination rates, bolstering security for hospital EDs and appointing a Crown observer for Te Whatu Ora. The Coalition Government has until 8 March to meet all the targets it set for its 100-day plan, and once Parliament resumes, we’re bound to see more of a focus on health. And Dr Reti indicated to senior reporter Martin Johnston that this year’s budget will need to address primary care funding.

But it will take longer to fix the sector’s long-term issues, particularly around funding, workforce and burnout. There are some positives, though – the largest-ever cohort of GPEP registrars have officially kicked off their training; larger medical school and nursing intakes also promise to address workforce problems. There’s also a whiff of hope on the PSAAP front.

And a specialist GP sitting in the health minister’s chair has got to bring some benefit to the sector.

Also, it’s a leap year, so at least we’ll get to see some cute babies in the news.

Editor Barbara Fountain is on extended leave