District health boards have received record levels of funding this year and will get even more next year, Health Minister Tony Ryall said today after Labour accused him of misleading the public over cuts to patient services.
"Home help for the elderly, services for the terminally ill, mental health services and diabetes services are among the services that have been cut back," she said.
"Questions must now be asked about Tony Ryall's blatant misleading of the public -- the minister has made enormous claims about cutting backroom services and saving more than $700 million, all to be invested in frontline health services.
"He made that claim six months ago, so surely we would be seeing $100 million in additional money by now. But instead all we have seen is cuts."
Mr Ryall said the Government inherited a health system on track for financial crisis, with unfunded services exceeding $150 million.
"You can only have a strong public health service -- and certainty of services -- if district health boards live within their means," he said.
"The dilemmas that DHBs in deficit are facing now will only get more drastic the longer the tough decisions are delayed."
Mr Ryall said all the DHBs received record levels of funding this year and would get even more next year, but they had to look at ways to restrain the growth in costs.
"Changes are significantly about reducing administrative waste and bureaucracy. All money saved has gone straight back into health for higher priorities."
