Doctors and rural women welcome pre-Budget boost for urgent and after-hours care
Doctors and rural women are welcoming the recent pre-budget announcement from the Government that it would be boosting funding to urgent and afterhours care facilities.
It comes following discussions with Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network, Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).
PRIME practictioners have been concerned for some time that the services they provide, to respond to emergencies when no ambulance services are immediately available in rural and remote areas, are financially unsustainable.
An upcoming review of the PRIME model and funding by Te Whatu Ora will investigate areas of improvement to ensure services are better equipped to meet the needs of rural and remote communities.
Hauora Taiwhenua chief executive Dr Grant Davidson says that this extra funding says that this extra funding will be a great relief to PRIME practitioners who have been asking for recognition when responding to medical emergencies for many years.
"This will provide some financial 'breathing space' for those practitioners while the full review of the services is carried out. We thank the staff of Te Whatu Ora for listening and acting."
The extra funding is not for injury related incidents, as these are funded directly by ACC. The payments will be backdated to 1 July 2022 for services already delivered.
