Latest news with #DigitalHealthAssociation
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
New 24-7 health service could 'dismantle' general practice, doctor says
General practice has become less attractive as a speciality with the shrinking level of capitation funding and money paid to practices for each enrolled patient. Photo: 123rf The government's plans for a new 24-7 Telehealth service will end up delivering "hit and run" medicine and substandard care for patients, warns a leading GP. Health NZ has confirmed the service - due to go live from as early as next month - will involve multiple providers and a shared digital health record. The Digital Health Association chair said the service would making it easier for patients to access a doctor and help to avoid "clogging up the hospital system". However, the chair of general practitioners Aotearoa Dr Buzz Burrell told Nine to Noon it would inevitably lead to "further fragmentation of good old general practice". "And if we fragment and dismantle general practice, we're going backwards, not forwards." Dr Burrell said to his knowledge, no GP organisations had been consulted over the design of the new Telehealth platform, which was concerning. "Unfortunately what it's going to look like is a patient is going to phone a doctor, a nurse, a paramedic, who is not their doctor or nurse or health practitioner. "As a result that continuity will be fractured, it will be hit and run medicine, and it's not fixing the problem." The underlying problem was the acute shortage of GPs in New Zealand, which needed another 500 to 1000 family doctors to be on par with Australia, he said. "The solution is not funding private companies to make money out of patients phoning them up instead of their doctors - it's getting more doctors on the front-line." Research had shown that patients who had the same GP for five years, lived four years longer on average, and had 30 percent fewer referrals to secondary services, Burrell said. "I recall very well in deed having one Telehealth consult during COVID with a patient I knew well, and I said 'Gosh, I have to see you next week', and I did. "What they had called me about was one problem, but what I saw was a pale person who had lost weight. And to cut a long story short he had his bowel cancer resected three months later. "That would have been completely missed had he been seen by one doctor who he'd never seen before and would never see again. That's hit and run medicine." General practice had become less attractive as a speciality with the shrinking level of capitation funding, the money paid to practices for each enrolled patient, with up to 40 percent of practices struggling to stay financially viable. Digital healthcare providers said however the Telehealth service should bring more equitable access to GPs across the country. The Digital Health Association chair Tony Wai told the Nine to Noon many GPs offered online appointments but not 24-hour coverage. "It will hopefully pick up a number of the unenrolled who don't have a current GP and we know a number of those individuals have been winding up in ED across the country, and that's clogging up the hospital system. "Trying to get immediate access to a doctor is going to be crucial upfront, there will be a number of people using it who will be in major distress in that point of time and getting them immediate access is much easier." Wai said it would take less time to get access to a doctor and reduce the overall wait times. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget 2025: A Missed Opportunity To Build A Stronger, Smarter Health System
Press Release – Digital Health Association Digital and physical infrastructure go hand-in-hand, Jensen says. A new hospital building is only as effective as the systems that support it. If we get this right, well build not just for todays needsbut for tomorrows opportunities. The Digital Health Association (DHA) believes Budget 2025 offers some encouraging steps but falls short of delivering the bold, strategic investment needed to modernise New Zealand's health system and unlock the full potential of digital innovation. While we welcome targeted funding for 24/7 telehealth services, mental health response tools, PHARMAC's digital systems, and digital infrastructure for the new Dunedin Hospital, these initiatives remain isolated. What's still missing is a joined-up, long-term digital health investment strategy that connects the dots across the system. 'Digital health is no longer a future aspiration—it's the foundation of modern care,' says Ryl Jensen, CEO of the Digital Health Association. 'We're encouraged by some of the budget commitments, but there's a real opportunity here to go further. Our health system is at a crossroads. We can either continue to make incremental, patchwork changes, or we can take a bold step toward a connected, responsive health future.' The DHA has long advocated for a national digital health strategy that ensures sustainable funding, strong system governance, and patient-centred data access. The reprioritisation of $380 million in funding last year—and a further $100 million reduction mid-year—left a significant gap in momentum. But the sector remains committed to being part of the solution. 'This is not about chasing headlines; it's about doing the groundwork for a safer, smarter health system,' says Jensen. 'Digital investment may not always be visible to the public, but its impact is—every time a doctor accesses the right information in time, every time a patient avoids repeating their story, every time care is coordinated across settings.' Today, the DHA met with Health Minister Simeon Brown to discuss the path ahead. The Minister acknowledged the essential role digital plays in delivering effective care and reaffirmed his commitment to strong digital governance and infrastructure. The Minister also noted the importance of the upcoming Digital Infrastructure Plan and the potential for a new health infrastructure entity—something the DHA believes must have digital embedded from day one. 'Digital and physical infrastructure go hand-in-hand,' Jensen says. 'A new hospital building is only as effective as the systems that support it. If we get this right, we'll build not just for today's needs—but for tomorrow's opportunities.' Other countries are showing what's possible. Australia continues to scale its digital investments. The UK allocates 8% of its health budget to digital. New Zealand currently sits at just 2.2%. 'We don't need to reinvent the wheel—we need to be willing to invest in it,' says Jensen. 'Young clinicians are telling us they hope to see integrated, supportive systems in their working lifetime. That's not just a tech challenge—it's a workforce and wellbeing issue.' The DHA recently provided Minister Brown with five strategic recommendations to strengthen digital health delivery and outcomes across the system. As the peak body for digital health in New Zealand, the Association is committed to working alongside Government to turn these ideas into action. 'The message is simple: we're not just calling for change—we're offering to help build it,' says Jensen. 'Let's move from patching to planning, from delays to delivery. It's time to design a digital health system that works for everyone—patients, clinicians, and the communities they serve.'
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Budget 2025: A Missed Opportunity To Build A Stronger, Smarter Health System
The Digital Health Association (DHA) believes Budget 2025 offers some encouraging steps but falls short of delivering the bold, strategic investment needed to modernise New Zealand's health system and unlock the full potential of digital innovation. While we welcome targeted funding for 24/7 telehealth services, mental health response tools, PHARMAC's digital systems, and digital infrastructure for the new Dunedin Hospital, these initiatives remain isolated. What's still missing is a joined-up, long-term digital health investment strategy that connects the dots across the system. 'Digital health is no longer a future aspiration—it's the foundation of modern care,' says Ryl Jensen, CEO of the Digital Health Association. 'We're encouraged by some of the budget commitments, but there's a real opportunity here to go further. Our health system is at a crossroads. We can either continue to make incremental, patchwork changes, or we can take a bold step toward a connected, responsive health future.' The DHA has long advocated for a national digital health strategy that ensures sustainable funding, strong system governance, and patient-centred data access. The reprioritisation of $380 million in funding last year—and a further $100 million reduction mid-year—left a significant gap in momentum. But the sector remains committed to being part of the solution. 'This is not about chasing headlines; it's about doing the groundwork for a safer, smarter health system,' says Jensen. 'Digital investment may not always be visible to the public, but its impact is—every time a doctor accesses the right information in time, every time a patient avoids repeating their story, every time care is coordinated across settings.' Today, the DHA met with Health Minister Simeon Brown to discuss the path ahead. The Minister acknowledged the essential role digital plays in delivering effective care and reaffirmed his commitment to strong digital governance and infrastructure. The Minister also noted the importance of the upcoming Digital Infrastructure Plan and the potential for a new health infrastructure entity—something the DHA believes must have digital embedded from day one. 'Digital and physical infrastructure go hand-in-hand,' Jensen says. 'A new hospital building is only as effective as the systems that support it. If we get this right, we'll build not just for today's needs—but for tomorrow's opportunities.' Other countries are showing what's possible. Australia continues to scale its digital investments. The UK allocates 8% of its health budget to digital. New Zealand currently sits at just 2.2%. 'We don't need to reinvent the wheel—we need to be willing to invest in it,' says Jensen. 'Young clinicians are telling us they hope to see integrated, supportive systems in their working lifetime. That's not just a tech challenge—it's a workforce and wellbeing issue.' The DHA recently provided Minister Brown with five strategic recommendations to strengthen digital health delivery and outcomes across the system. As the peak body for digital health in New Zealand, the Association is committed to working alongside Government to turn these ideas into action. 'The message is simple: we're not just calling for change—we're offering to help build it,' says Jensen. 'Let's move from patching to planning, from delays to delivery. It's time to design a digital health system that works for everyone—patients, clinicians, and the communities they serve.'
