In an article published in the ODT it states that patients travelling from Oamaru to an appointment at Dunedin Hospital can claim travel expenses through the travel assistance programme. This is no longer correct.
I had to travel from Oamaru to Dunedin for minor surgery late last year. I completed my travel expenses form and posted it away as I usually do. However, after waiting for two months with no payment in my account, I phoned to inquire why the payment hadn’t been made. I was informed that the payments are only made now if you’ve been referred to the hospital by a specialist at the hospital. Not if you have been referred to the hospital for treatment by your GP.
This is a change of policy I was unaware of, and many patients may not be aware of this change. Would it not be cheaper and easier to refer Oamaru patients to Timaru Hospital. It’s a much easier drive and a lot closer to Oamaru. It should be considered now the the price of petrol is being increased again.
Linda Renalson
Oamaru
A Te Whatu Ora Southern spokesperson replies: Te Whatu Ora Southern empathises with patients having to travel. We know that patients in rural areas can find travelling to Dunedin Hospital for healthcare challenging. Te Whatu Ora Southern does not provide or contract providers for transport for patients. Some patients use the private donation-based shuttle rides from Oamaru to Dunedin while others travel with family or whānau.
Some patients may qualify for the National Travel Assistance support. The NTA scheme helps people financially who are referred by their specialist to see another specialist and need to travel long distances or travel frequently. The specialists must both be part of a government-funded health and disability service. The scheme is administered by Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand who uses the NTA policy to guide their decision-making according to the eligibility criteria.
Te Whatu Ora is developing a programme of work to modernise our response around travel assistance. This will include looking at how best to achieve equity of access and how to fund the support whānau need to reflect actual costs. While development of the programme is ongoing, the work to be undertaken will include the organisations involved in the NTA and engage with the communities and diverse groups that it supports.
Some patients under certain specialities are being seen at other hospitals. This is a benefit of the health reforms in providing access to healthcare, no matter where you live.
Tale of two extremes
Jean Balchin’s column "Subtle infiltration of fundamentalism" (ODT, 29.6.23) was a story about two extremes. The fundamentalist extreme was thoroughly critiqued. In an unsubtle way, liberalism was touted as the alternative.
However, it was not acknowledged as the polar opposite that it really is. For example, why were the liberal values of tolerance and inclusion assumed to be universally applicable when they’re not? Instead, a view of the world that doesn’t polarise has to include respect.
Ron Adams
Wakari
Be prepared
Years ago Prime Minister Rob Muldoon, after hiring a new minister, required them to write their resignation letter, undated. This was then stored in Muldoon’s desk drawer ready to be used if the new person sinned. Perhaps Chris Hipkins could adopt this practice?
John B. Kennedy
Gore
Tarring all farmers with the same brush
They say the secret to happiness is never read the comments, but in response to my wife’s expostulation I read Sean Connelly’s "Seeds for Change" (The Mix, 3.7.23).
In it he tars all farmers with the same brush; environmental vandals, concerned only with increasing production, responsible for New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is just claptrap. Oddly I didn’t see him at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards field day.
Connelly states that the world wouldn’t notice if New Zealand ceased agricultural exports. For the rest of the world that may be true in the longer term, but we would notice because agricultural products are our main foreign exchange earner and New Zealand is already borrowing heavily to fund government spending.
Correspondingly the New Zealand exchange rate would plummet, and the cost of imports skyrocket.
Julian Price
Oamaru
Does no mean no?
Recently many Dunedin cars have been stolen, driven erratically and some wrecked. The culprit thieves were underage kids who should have been at home, with their families. Where were the parents or caregivers? "The children were taken home and their parents were spoken to" (ODT, 28.6.23) but I wonder what happened to the caregivers/ parents? Were there any consequences for either caregivers or the thieves?
Children, in most families, know from babyhood that there will be consequences for unwise behaviours. Even babies soon learn the meaning of the word "no".
Bernice Armstrong
North East Valley
BIBLE READING: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. —1 Corinthians 3.19.
