Latest news with #publicfunding
CTV News
6 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
New Brunswick funds pharmacists to treat more common ailments
Pharmacists in New Brunswick received public funding to treat three more common ailments, said a news release Friday. Patients can visit participating pharmacies for seasonal allergies, thrush and fungal infections – including athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm – with no service fee, said the province in the release. 'These types of health concerns are within the scope of practice of pharmacists in New Brunswick, and we continue to value the role pharmacists can play in helping New Brunswickers receive the right care at the right time from the right health professional,' said Health Minister John Dornan. Pharmacists in New Brunswick can now assess and treat 15 common ailments with prescriptions, administer vaccines and provide other services. This helps reduce traffic at emergency rooms, walk-in clinics and other care providers, said the province. Patients are advised to contact their pharmacist in advance to find out what services are available since they are not mandatory. The cost of certain consultations is covered but patients are still responsible for the cost of medication. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
The Herald
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Godongwana proposes full public funding for political parties
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana is proposing political parties be fully funded by public money, arguing reliance on private donors undermines accountability. Speaking at the Electoral Commission of SA's (IEC) inaugural symposium on political funding on Thursday, he said: 'In my view, political parties must be fully publicly funded. Political funding for political parties from the public purse carries with it obligations — there's going to be accountability and transparency. The auditor-general must be able to audit for that accountability.' Godongwana said there is need for a funding regime that ensures stability, transparency and participation. However, he cautioned that economic challenges and reduced revenue collection could limit the creation of a common public funding pool. 'Between the 2011/12 financial year to date, we've only given R3bn to political parties,' a figure he cited to highlight underfunding of parties. He also questioned the IEC's role in overseeing political funding, asking, 'Are we not putting the IEC in a position of a conflict?' Listen to the minister:
RNZ News
18-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Taxpayer to foot the bill for cancer drugs for private patients
Taxpayers will soon begin footing the bill for newly-funded cancer medicines administered in private facilities for 12 months, under the so-called "transitional access" arrangement. Photo: 123RF The government's decision to let private patients have publicly-funded cancer drugs is a waste of taxpayers' money, and could even make wait times worse, the Labour Party is warning. From 1 July, taxpayers will begin covering the cost of newly-funded cancer medicines administered in private facilities for 12 months, under the so-called "transitional access" arrangement. In a testy exchange with the Associate Health Minister David Seymour at Wednesday's health select committee, Labour Party spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall pointed out the vast majority of New Zealanders did not have private health insurance. "Wouldn't this money have been better spent on hiring oncologists in the public system so that people can get free care there?" Under the current framework, insurers already picked up the tab for any new medicines that Pharmac funded, so the change did not actually benefit patients in most cases, she said. "So this money that you are spending on this is achieving almost nothing in terms of access, it's just a subsidy for insurers." However, Seymour disagreed, saying one should not underestimate the "inconvenience" of having to shift facilities mid-treatment, and people "should not be disadvantaged by the fact that they have taken precaution of having private insurance". "When you're getting treated for cancer, you just don't want any more problems in your life or inconveniences in your life, you just want to get through it." He dismissed Labour's characterisation of the change as "subsidising private insurers". "Insurers don't have any money other than what's paid to them by the patients," he said. "So ultimately this is also a subsidy for the patients, who are also taxpayers who are entitled to public funding in this country.... "You can always say we could do more if we were prepared to exclude some New Zealanders from care in the public system." "Everyone is entitled to care in the public system," Verrall responded. Private patients who were not covered by insurance would still have to pay "infusion" costs to have the medicines administered. Pharmac chair Paula Bennett said the drug-funding agency had been contacted by patients who were in private care and had insurance before Pharmac started funding more cancer medicines. "One man was eligible for four treatments but actually needed 12 and he was going to have to move into the public system to receive the other eight. "The thought of having to change oncologist just to get access to the extra eight treatments that he desperately needed was incredibly stressful." According to correspondence between officials and the minister's office, which was released to the Labour Party under the Official Information Act, the plan was initially going to be announced in April. Seymour was unable to say why the announcement had not gone ahead as planned. Talking points provided to the minister ahead of the Cabinet discussion on 2 April noted no additional funding was being sought for the proposal, but instead Pharmac would "make some trade-offs within the medicines budget" to fund it. "Numbers of patients that will benefit from transitional access may well be small (likely less than 10 per medicine) but over time this policy will reach patients at a critical time." In a statement to RNZ, Pharmac director strategy, policy, and performance Michael Johnson said the rule change applied "only to newly funded cancer medicines (medicines funded after 1 July 2025). "The number of patients expected to benefit from this change will depend on what cancer treatments are funded in the future. " Labour's Ayesha Verrall said doctors working in the public system feared shifting more resources into the private system would further increase inequities and wait times for patients who could not afford private care. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Treasury minister forgets where new Thames crossing is being built – and how much it will cost
A Treasury minister was unable to answer basic questions about a new crossing for the River Thames during a radio interview to highlight the government's decision to commit a further £590 million of public money to the project. The Lower Thames Crossing will link Essex and Kent, but economic secretary Emma Reynolds was unable to say where the crossing will be or how much it will cost. She also mistakenly referred to the existing crossing being the 'Dartmouth tunnel', apparently confusing the Devon town with Dartford, the location of the crossings for traffic across the Thames. 'I meant Dartford, excuse me, I had a very early morning,' the minister told LBC Radio. Asked about the proposed new crossing's location, she said: 'You'll forgive me, I can't recall the landing zone.' The crossing will involve two tunnels under the Thames to the east of Tilbury in Essex and Gravesend in Kent. Pressed on the cost, she said 'it's going to cost quite a lot of money', suggesting it would be 'several billion pounds'. LBC presenter Nick Ferrari was audibly shocked and frustrated, asking Ms Reynolds: 'Is there much point continuing this conversation because you don't know where a bridge starts, where it ends and you don't know how much it costs?' National Highways has estimated the cost will be between £9.2 billion and £10.2 billion depending on the funding model chosen. It would connect the A2 and M2 in Kent to the A13 and M25 in Essex via a 2.6-mile tunnel under the Thames, which would be the UK's longest road tunnel. The funding for the Lower Thames Crossing will be part of the Government's 10-year plan for infrastructure. A new structures fund will also invest in repairing bridges, flyovers, tunnels and other transport infrastructure such as roads. The Lower Thames Crossing is aimed at reducing congestion at Dartford. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said that the project is 'essential for improving the resilience of a key freight route and is critical to our long-term trade with Europe'. 'It will speed up the movement of goods from south-east England to the Midlands and the north, crucial to thousands of jobs and businesses,' she added. Rachel Reeves has said ministers are 'going all in by going up against the painful disruption of closed bridges, crossings and flyovers'. The Chancellor added: 'This is a turning point for our national infrastructure, and we're backing it with funding to support thousands of jobs and connect communities, delivering on our plan for change.' It comes ahead of the Government's infrastructure strategy, expected this week, while public procurement rules are set to be overhauled so that public bodies will have to give more weight to firms which can prove they will boost British jobs when they are bidding for contracts. The Chancellor outlined a range of infrastructure investments as part of last week's spending review.
Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Reeves ploughs another £590m into over-budget Lower Thames Crossing
Rachel Reeves has announced she will spend £590 million of the Government's infrastructure fund on the Lower Thames Crossing, which is six years delayed and more than £3 billion over budget before construction has even begun. The Chancellor said 'critical funding' freed up in her spending review last week would be spent on the 'long-awaited' project, which at 2.6 miles will be the longest tunnel in the UK road network. The tunnel under the Thames Estuary, first proposed in 2009, is designed to reduce pressure on the Dartford crossing and will directly connect Essex and Kent. The project was originally expected to receive planning permission in 2020 and be completed by 2026, but has been delayed by six years amid a row over planning permission. The cost estimate for the tunnel has risen from £5.3 billion when it was first conceived to £9 billion, and is likely to be even more expensive by the time construction is completed in the early 2030s. More than £1.2 billion of public money has been spent on planning permission, legal fees and consultants. The injection of new funding comes from a £1 billion pot for transport infrastructure, which will also repair bridges, tunnels and flyovers across the UK. The Department for Transport (DfT) said that more than 3,000 bridges across the country are unable to support heavy vehicles, while the number of bridge collapses has soared. Ms Reeves said: 'When it comes to investing in Britain's renewal, we're going all in by going up against the painful disruption of closed bridges, crossings and flyovers, and ensuring they are fit to serve working people for decades to come. 'Today's investment also goes even further and faster to spread growth by providing to take forward the Lower Thames Crossing – not just boosting connectivity in the South East, but ensuring a smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to our regions.' The Lower Thames Crossing was pitched as a way of increasing capacity for vehicles driving around London, including heavy goods vehicles arriving in the UK from the EU. The Dartford Crossing has been over capacity almost every day for at least five years, other than during Covid-19 lockdowns. The bridge has a capacity of 135,000 vehicles a day, but carries more than 180,000 on its busiest days, according to DfT data. But the tunnel has faced local opposition from campaigners on both sides of the Thames Estuary, who argue it will lead to more freight traffic in previously quiet areas. Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said: 'We're finally getting on with the Lower Thames Crossing – a crucial project to drive economic growth that has been stuck in planning limbo for far too long. 'This project is essential for improving the resilience of a key freight route and is critical to our long-term trade with Europe. It will speed up the movement of goods from South East England to the Midlands and the North, crucial to thousands of jobs and businesses. 'Our structures fund will make long-overdue investments to repair ageing structures across the country, speeding up journeys, restoring pride and delivering our plan for change to boost the economy and support regional growth.'
