$98 million more for surgery

Jonathan Coleman announced:

An extra $98 million will be invested in Budget 2015 to provide more New Zealanders with timely elective surgery, and to improve the prevention and treatment of orthopaedic conditions, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

“Access to elective surgery is a top priority for the Government. Elective surgery makes a real difference to patients and their families – it reduces pain, increases independence, and improves quality of life,” Dr Coleman says.

“The number of patients receiving elective surgery has increased from 118,000 in 2007/08 to 162,000 in 2013/14. That’s 44,000 more operations – a 37 per cent increase.

Considering the fiscal circumstances of the last few years, that’s a very significant increase. There will always be unmet demand, but there has been significant extra funding over the years to increase capacity.