Labour’s Health spokesperson, Annette King says around 5000 six to twelve year old children may not be able to access the free GP Visits announced as part of the Budget 2014.
Annette King says thousands of Auckland children are missing out on free doctors’ visits despite claims from the Government that take-up had exceeded expectations.
“Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has been quick to talk up the ‘success’ of the Government’s scheme to subsidise doctors’ visits to children under 13. However 22 of 26 practices in Auckland Central have chosen not to opt into the scheme.”
The initiative kicked in on the first of this month and Ms King says clinics not opting into the scheme shows a clear issue with the amount of funding available.
Health Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman said if practices didn’t opt in there were ‘easily accessible alternatives’.
According to Annette King, “That suggests he is comfortable having parents driving considerable distances with a sick child to find a doctor. This is another example of this Government underfunding a policy and expecting an already stretched frontline to pick up the pieces.”