Needle decision criticised
The Otago Daily Times has learned the Disc Trust, which has administered the needle-exchange programme since 1988, has lost its contract.
The funding available for the service in the South Island has dropped in the latest round from $1.4 million to $1m.
Labour MP for Taieri Ingrid Leary said the cut to the budget for these vital services was "another short-sighted approach by the current government".
"This decision fails to recognise the significant value for money that needle exchange services provide.
"Preventing diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C not only saves lives and improves quality of life, it also generates substantial long-term savings for taxpayers by averting the much more expensive costs associated with treating these conditions ... once again, it appears the South Island is not being prioritised."
Ms Leary said the effectiveness of these services was largely built upon the long-standing and deep relationships providers had cultivated with their communities over many decades.
"It will be exceptionally difficult for new providers to achieve the same level of reach and engagement without the benefit of these established relationships."
The decision risked undermining the trust and accessibility fundamental to the success of needle-exchange programmes.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) has said the funding was based on a new population model, but Ms Leary challenged that approach.
"Funding these types of services purely on a population health basis is not necessarily the most logical approach, especially when specific communities within the broader population have demonstrably much higher needs."
The decision-making process should have prioritised these specific needs rather than a broad population metric when formulating its approach, she said.
"A needs-based assessment would likely have resulted in a different scoring matrix for the request for proposals [RFPs].
"I have raised a number of questions with the minister regarding this issue. There are widespread concerns across the motu that needle-exchange services are being centralised in an attempt to cut costs, and I am particularly worried about the adverse flow-on effects this will have on communities that are considered outposts of the primary provider.
"The decisions regarding needle-exchange services in Dunedin are deeply problematic, reflecting a concerning trend in health funding and community engagement."
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