ANZCA Bulletin June 2011 - Australian and New Zealand College of ...

New Zealand news
NZNC strategic
campaign
A New Zealand National Committee
(NZNC) subcommittee has developed a
campaign to advance the committee’s
position on the future of New Zealand’s
anaesthesia workforce and ANZCA’s
role in setting and maintaining high
standards of training and practice.
Subcommittee members attended a
brainstorming workshop on May 30
with a communications and lobbying
specialist and have developed a draft
plan. The plan was discussed with
ANZCA’s head offi ce staff this month
and will be put to the NZNC meeting on
July 8 and 9. Committee members will
host a cocktail function for stakeholders
prior to the meeting on July 7, as part of
the campaign. The NZNC aso will take
part in the annual joint meeting with the
executive of the New Zealand Society of
Anaesthetists on July 8.
Assessment fees
The Medical Council of New Zealand
(MCNZ) is consulting its branch advisory
bodies, of which ANZCA is one, about the
fees it pays them to assess international
medical graduate specialists (IMGS) for
registration in a vocational specialty.
The fees have not been adjusted for
seven years. Following consultation, the
proposed new fees will go to the Minister
of Health for approval and formal
gazetting.
Pharmac
consultation
Pharmac, the New Zealand
Government’s pharmaceutical
management agency, has asked the
New Zealand National Committee for
advice about which pharmaceuticals
used for cardiology treatments should
be included in a national preferred list of
cardiovascular medicines to be funded
within district health board hospitals.
Pharmac is reviewing all pharmaceuticals
used within public hospitals following
the government’s decision that Pharmac
should be responsible for funding
hospital pharmaceuticals.
New Zealand’s
health budget
Vote Health received the largest
proportion of government spending
and was one of the few areas to win an
increase in a tight government budget
delivered on May 19.
The budget delivers an extra
NZ$2.2 billion to public health services
over four years, including an additional
$585 million in 2011/12.
“Vote Health is the biggest recipient
of Budget 2011,” Health Minister Tony
Ryall, above, said.
“This demonstrates the government’s
strong commitment to protecting and
growing our public health services,
despite the diffi cult economic times.
“In the next fi nancial year, we are
providing $585 million for health
initiatives – made up of $420 million of
new money, plus around $165 million
from savings (in the health sector) going
straight back into healthcare.”
District health boards will receive
around $400 million – $350 million in
population-based funding plus over $50
million for service contracts from the
Ministry of Health.
The $2.2 billion extra over four years will
fund new initiatives including:
• $18 million for 40 extra medical
training places – part of a promise to
boost the number of medical training
places by 200 over fi ve years.
• A further $54.5 million for maternity
initiatives to improve safety and
quality, and extra WellChild visits,
with a particular focus on fi rst-time
mothers. This allocation includes
$18.4 million to improve safety
and quality of services for mothers
and babies by bringing maternity
professionals together for regular
clinical reviews of all births and
increasing the number of midwives in
hospitals as well as the number of onsite
and on-call medical specialists.
• $80 million to increase access to
medicines. The $20 million increase
for 2011/12 is included in the funding
increase to district health boards.
• $68 million for elective surgery.
• An additional $40 million for dementia
care, which is expected to provide
almost 200 extra beds over years and
extra respite care.
• $40 million for mental health, including
$4 million for dementia-related respite
care.
• An extra $130 million for disability
support services to meet rising needs
and costs.
• $80 million extra from district health
boards for GP visit subsidies and $14
million to increase the number of
people qualifying for programs such as
very low cost access and free undersixes.
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ANZCA Bulletin June 2011