When National signalled health cuts and "spending discipline" in last years budget, they said the money would come out of bureaucrats and the "back office". Frontline services would be unaffected.
They lied. Thanks to National's cuts, my local DHB is looking at a $9 million deficit for this year. Which means job losses, and cuts to services:
Hospital beds at Horowhenua, Palmerston North Hospital's rehabilitation ward and sexual health and diabetes services could be chopped in MidCentral Health's attempt to claw back a forecast $8.9 million deficit this year.These are all frontline services, not "back-office" functions. Cutting them affects patients, not "bureaucrats". As a result of these cuts, people will have to go to Wellington for treatment, or just go without.Cuts to renal services and medicine budgets are also proposed in leaked documents from a district health board hospital advisory committee workshop last week.
This is what National does: cuts the vital services ordinary New Zealanders depend upon. And all so their rich mates can have another tax cut.
