From the 19th of August fees at Hobsonville Family Doctors will be increasing for most patients, except those under 14, or with community services cards. In doing this, we are joining most other clinics in the country, as our sector continues to be underfunded by the government.
This fee adjustment is necessary due to chronic underinvestment by successive governments, leading to a wide gap between government funding for primary care and the actual cost of delivering high-quality health services.
An external auditor suggested an increase in funding by a minimum of 14%, however, Dr Reti ignored this advice and offered General Practice a 4% increase. Although negotiators for General Practice declined this offer, the government ignored the bargaining process and unilaterally decided to proceed regardless.
To make up the shortfall in funding the Government has advised we should increase our patient fees. We understand that some of our patients are struggling with the cost of living, however this fee increase is necessary for us to continue to provide viable high quality health care. If our new fees present a challenge for you, please inform our reception team.
We do strongly recommend writing to your local MP, or the Minister of Health (Dr Shane Reti). You can use the instructions below to email Dr Reti directly to share your disappointment in Health NZs decision and subsequent fee increase. This code will provide you with an email template which you can send as it is or personalise it to fit your concern.
Please be kind to our Doctors, Nurses and Receptionists, as they were not involved in making this change.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
The Directors at Hobsonville Family Doctors
If you like, you can also use this letter template and sent it to the Minister of Health:
1. Copy and paste this letter into an email.
2. Update the date, the name of your general practice you are enrolled in and put your name at the end of the letter
3. Find your local MPs name and email address from the New Zealand Parliament Members webpage - click here to access it. You can then copy and paste it into the letter below
4. Copy the Minister’s, MP’s and PHO email addresses and put them in the ‘to’ field in your email
5. Hit send.
Letter and details:
Dr Shane Reti, Minister of Health
By email: S.Reti@ministers.govt.nz
CC your MP: Cameron.Brewer@parliament.govt.nz
Dear Minister,
I am writing to express my deep disappointment, concern and regret regarding the recent increase in fees we have had to implement at our general practice.
We have tried to hold off from increasing our fees as we know households are struggling at the moment with the increased cost of living. Our patients rely on our essential health services, and we know that this increase will only make healthcare more unaffordable and more inequitable.
However, with the capitation funding uplift of 4%, and the Sapere Report recommending an increase of a minimum of 15%, we have been left with no other choice but to increase our fees. This is not an action we have taken lightly, but our hand has been forced.
We have warned the government on multiple occasions that if they didn’t increase funding levels, we would have to increase fees to help cover our costs or we would have to close the practice.
Frustratingly, our warnings have been disregarded.
Please know this is the last resort, and is not a decision we have taken lightly, as we truly understand the impact this will have on whānau. An additional financial strain on essential healthcare services is the last thing our community needs at the moment.
As you are aware from your time in general practice, GPs are the cornerstone of our healthcare system, providing critical care and preventative services that ensure the well-being of our community. We also know you are aware of the research that shows that for every $1 invested in general practice, it saves between $13 and $15 in spending on secondary care.
I urge you, and the government to listen to the voice of our patients and our GPs, and urgently invest in primary care, rather than taking an ‘ambulance at the bottom of the cliff’ approach to healthcare.
A sustainable healthcare system needs to include proper investment into general practice which includes providing realistic funding, thereby making primary healthcare accessible for all.
Please reconsider the government’s funding decision and explore alternative solutions that do not place an additional burden on those who can least afford it. Ensuring affordable access to general practice services is not just a matter of health; it is a matter of equity and social justice.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.
Ngā mihi,
<<insert name>>