Children bear brunt of strain in health system
The number of children under five who were hospitalised for conditions which should have been addressed in primary care has risen by 35% across the country
Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Thursday, November 2, by Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.
In today’s edition: the suggestion of speeding up the special vote count is ‘not fair’ but daily count updates could work; household interest payments expected to double by next year; Education Review Office report identifies raft of failings at Gloriavale school; but first, national health agency releases annual ‘report card’, and it shows a rise in the number of preventable hospital admissions for under-fives
Preventable hospital admissions for babies and pre-schoolers up 35%
Performance data for Te Whatu Ora for the year to June was released on Tuesday. As RNZ reports, preventable hospital admissions for babies and pre-schoolers is up by 35% on the same time last year. It’s worse for Pasifika children, with their hospitalisation rate increasing by 45%. The data shows an increase in the number of children admitted to hospital with asthma, pneumonia, upper respiratory and ear, nose and throat infections, as well as gastro-enteritis, dehydration and cellulitis. Auckland GP and Māori clinical advisory to the Immunisation Advisory Centre, Dr Mamaeroa David, said the spike in hospitalisations for illnesses that should have been picked up earlier within the primary health care system was worrying. Her practice has recently closed its books because patients were waiting too long for appointments. A report published in April 2023 stated childhood immunisation rates have fallen to “critical levels”. The National party’s health policy includes incentive payments for GPs for achieving immunisation targets, including full immunisation for two-year-olds.
Reduction in surgical waiting list in some regions
As the Herald’s Issac Davidson reports, there is some good news in the performance data. The number of people waiting more than a year for surgery has been reduced in some regions. Waiting lists in Auckland and Northland have been cut by more than half after the introduction of initiatives to reduce pandemic-related backlogs. However, more patients have been waiting longer for their first specialist assessments and cancer treatment, and more people were staying longer in emergency departments. Te Whatu Ora chief clinical officer Dr Richard Sullivan says, “we haven’t seen the improvements we would have liked to have seen.”
Lack of progress on Hawke's Bay birthing unit
Te Whatu Ora accepted the recommendations of a highly critical report into how Hawke's Bay Hospital treats whānau Māori in maternity care in June 2022. One of the recommendations was to create a Māori birthing unit. Ngāti Kahungunu health service chief executive Jean Te Huia says the lack of progress on the unit to date was a sad indictment on meeting the needs of Māori. “If we are serious in this country about addressing the appalling statistics that affect our Māori women and babies, then this is the right thing to do.” Work on progressing the unit was transitioned to Te Whatu Ora after district health boards were folded into the national health agency. Te Whatu Ora says the work will “occur within the context of the wider health reforms, including maternal and infant health outcomes.”
The way Oranga Tamariki collects and manages data needs to ‘change and evolve’
The Baby Ru case has raised further questions about the care of some of our most vulnerable and at-risk children in New Zealand this week. A Stuff database shows that Baby Ru was at least the 65th New Zealander aged 17 or younger killed since April 2017. Reporting for The Post this morning, Tom Hunt writes that those on the frontline of trying to bring the country’s child homicide statistics down to zero are relying on media reports and old or vague figures to measure the problem. ACT MP Karen Chhour says she struggled to get official, current child homicide figures from government departments. Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani says the way the agency collects and manages data needs to change and evolve.
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Suggestion of speeding up the final vote count ‘not fair’ but daily count updates could work
The relative period of political quiet ends tomorrow afternoon when the special vote count and final election results are released. Both incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon and NZ First leader Winston Peters have said the formation of the government could happen quickly after the count is released. But could the special vote count be sped up? While the rationale for it taking three weeks has been well-explained, Luxon reiterated his view that that was too long yesterday, signalling he would look to update the law once he was in government. Graeme Edgeler (author of the well-explained explainer on special votes) says Luxon’s suggestion of speeding up the final vote count is unfair, but daily count updates could work.
In satirically important news, comedian Tom Sainsbury, who is known for his online impressions of politicians, says he’s struggling with his Snapchat impression of Luxon, describing attempts to date as “monstrous”.
Household interest payments expected to double by next year
The Reserve Bank published its latest financial stability report yesterday. The bank is forecasting the average share of disposable income used to pay interest will hit 18% in 2024, double what it was two years ago. Stats NZ also released labour market figures yesterday, revealing a slight increase in the country’s unemployment rate. It’s at 3.9% for the September quarter, up from 3.6% in the previous quarter and 3.2% this time last year. The underutilisation rate — a broader measure of spare labour market capacity than unemployment alone — was 10.4% over the last quarter, up from 8.8% a year ago. ASB economists say they expect unemployment to be near 5% by the end of next year.
Click and Collect
Education Review Office report identifies a raft of failings at Gloriavale Christian School
Mongrel Mob hires lawyer to test legality of National’s gang patch policy
Supie workers to receive final pay after “substantial” anonymous donation
Nice yarn from Hawkes Bay Today’s Doug Laing about the opening of a new dairy in Raupunga. The small town hasn’t had one for 40 years.
Part 2 of Newsrooms’s deep dive into the Taxpayers’ Union is out this morning
Stewart Sowman-Lund meets Rima Nakhle, the new National MP who almost overshadowed Luxon’s big night. Pharmacist Gemma Perry explains why removing prescription charges has been transformational for many coming through the doors of her pharmacy. Alex Casey looks back at the fascinating history of 7pm current affairs shows in Aotearoa. Don McGlashan shares some of his reading hits and misses for The Spinoff Books Confessional. Duncan Greive looks into Oppo's audacious, improbable fight to topple Apple and Samsung. Tommy de Silva argues that Auckland has too many suburbs.
Sporting snippets
South Africa beats New Zealand at Cricket World Cup
Ian Foster wants answers from World Rugby
Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.
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Behind Luxon's childish impatience over the counting of votes is the right wing agenda to make it harder to vote and disenfranchise more people.