NZ health ‘envy of the world’
The world is green with envy when it looks at our health system, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has told a room full of bemused cancer charity bosses.
‘‘If you stand back and go to the World Health Organisation, where I was two months ago, you will realise we have got a health system that’s the envy of the world. And I think we have got to have that perspective,’’ Coleman said.
His comments were initially greeted with stunned silence. But Siobhan Conroy, chief executive of the Unicorn Foundation, said later: ‘‘Actually, I think we are the laughing stock. ‘‘If you look at the number of Givealittle pages – the number of New Zealanders out there currently seeking access to treatment and medicines – we’re not doing that well.’’ Coleman was speaking at a political debate organised by a conglomerate of nine prominent cancer charities in Wellington on Tuesday night, and made his comments while responding to a question about ensuring consistent levels of cancer treatment for all New Zealanders, regardless of age, ethnicity or location.
Elaborating yestersday, Coleman added: ‘‘Comparative to health systems internationally, New Zealand’s is performing well.’’
In Geneva, he met with other health minister from around the world.
‘‘Our comprehensive, no fault public health system was the envy of many – particularly the United States,’’ he said.
The Government’s investment in health in Budget 2017 included an extra $60 million for Pharmac to provide more access to medicines. ‘‘Around 820,000 New Zealanders have benefited from 414 new and widened access medicines since 2007/08.’’
Around 3.5 million New Zealanders receive a funded medicine each year – 100,000 more than in 2013/14, he said.
‘‘In the past two years over 109,000 New Zealanders have benefited from 62 new and widened access subsidised medicines.’’
Out of 20 comparable countries in the OECD, New Zealand ranks 19th when it comes to waiting times for funding all new medicines and innovative treatments, and in some cases funds no medicines for specific cancers, according to data from Medicines NZ.
That was the case for neuroendocrine cancer, which is the subject of the Unicorn Foundation’s work, Conroy said. Yet ‘‘we know one person is diagnosed every day’’. ‘‘Our patients are paying – to start with – $50,000 and travelling to Australia to receive their cancer treatment, and it’s life-changing treatment.’’ Graeme Woodside, chief executive of Prostate Cancer NZ said, compared with Australia, we were well behind in prostate cancer treatment.
‘‘We do not have access to the same treatments, particularly things like robotic surgery. In that regard, no, we’re not up there.’’ Lung Cancer Foundation chief executive Philip Hope could not understand Coleman’s rationale: ‘‘If you’re going to fund a treatment, why not fund the best treatment?’’