338 days ago

Specialist doctor shortage: More than a third of adults not getting healthcare they need

Brian from Mount Roskill

More than a third of adult New Zealanders are not getting the healthcare they need, a new study by the senior doctors union has found.
Patients who need specialist care were being left “in limbo” with their GPs, while the number of people turning up to emergency departments in life-threatening situations is growing.
The report by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists used official data including patient surveys, wait lists for non-surgical care and information about the number of people referred to a specialist but declined care.
About 1.75 million people were missing out on dental care, while 329,000 and 55,000 children were not getting the treatment they needed for mental health or addiction, it said.
The number of people who did not receive specialist care within four months was six times higher in September last year than in July 2019, it found.
In an editorial on the study in the New Zealand Medical Journal, the authors said that had big implications.
“As access to hospital specialists declines, growing numbers of patients are left in limbo under the care of their GPs, adding further to the pressures on access to primary care services, and risks patients’ condition deteriorating and quality of life worsening,” they said.
The report said the number of people turning up to hospital emergency departments has grown by 22 per cent in the nine years to 2023.
And the proportion of them arriving with immediately or potentially life-threatening conditions has grown from a half to two-thirds, it said.
The union said the situation was much worse than in comparable European countries and urgent investigations were needed.
It said any change needed to be much wider than just the health system, addressing the problems that could contribute to bad health including poverty.
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More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Coal Range Baking at Highwic

Highwic from Highwic - Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Coal Range Baking at Highwic
Watch as our volunteers recreate traditional Victorian recipes as well as modern favourites on the Shacklock coal range in the Highwic kitchen, built in the 1870s. You might even get to taste the final product!
Due to issues with the coal range the session on Wednesday 2nd of April has been cancelled.

When: First Wednesday of the month:
Wednesday 7 May
Wednesday 4 June
Wednesday 2 July
Wednesday 6 August
Wednesday 3 September
Wednesday 1 October
Wednesday 5 November
Wednesday 3 December

Time: 11am – 12.30pm

Cost: Normal entry: Adults $10, Children free
Free for HNZPT Members

2 days ago

Show us your projects

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...

Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...

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13 days ago

What's one highway or road that needs attention?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We've all been on a summer roadie and experienced first-hand the state of our roads.

If you've ever been stuck in a summer traffic jam, had near-misses on dangerous turns or feared for your life on clifftops (while the car behind you is tail-gating!) - you may have an opinion on this one.

Tell us what main road or highway you think needs some serious attention across the country, and why!

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