Health Minister Reti Advocates Collaboration with Private Sector to Reduce Waiting Lists
Health Minister Shane Reti spoke to senior doctors and dentists about working closely with the private sector to reduce waiting lists. He emphasized that this collaboration is not a move towards privatization.
Reti’s comments followed Associate Health Minister David Seymour’s hints at promoting more privatization in the health system. At a conference in Wellington, Dr. Catherine Ben, president of the union, asked Reti if the government’s approach would create a two-tiered health system. Reti clarified that privatization was not his policy. Instead, he wants increased collaboration with private facilities while ensuring taxpayer money supports the public health system.
He stated, “This is not just Crown funding going to your balance sheet… We will increase the relationship and outsourcing to private operators, but this is not a step toward privatization.”
Reti faced tough questions about budget cuts, workforce shortages, and the influence of the tobacco industry. He noted the applause from conference delegates in response to a question about the impact of the tobacco industry on government tax decisions. Reti highlighted the decrease in smoking rates and acknowledged the need for further work to achieve the SmokeFree 2025 goal.
Delegates also raised concerns about outdated practices in healthcare. Dr. Ben mentioned that some healthcare professionals still use fax machines and pens. Reti said a new digital and infrastructure plan would outline the future direction for healthcare, noting ongoing investments in digital projects. He acknowledged that some projects were paused to evaluate their alignment with patient outcomes.
The minister also discussed an AI note-taking app that could help psychiatrists increase patient capacity. He suggested that these details would be better directed to the Mental Health Minister, Matt Doocey. Overall, Reti expressed a commitment to improving the public health system while fostering private sector partnerships.