Last week, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson were part of a powerhouse contingent who visited Wānaka in what they called the "rural heath roadshow" to listen to concerns from those in the regions.
The group included representatives from Health NZ Southern and the Ministry of Health.
Husband George and wife Darling Mathieson are two of many Wānaka residents who have had to learn just how difficult it is to access necessary care.
In 2019, Ms Mathieson had to be taken by helicopter out of Wānaka for emergency care following unexplained seizures and also had to undergo brain surgery this year after a suspected stroke.
In addition to being physically and emotionally taxing, the experience was made more difficult by the regular trips to Dunedin Hospital.
Mr Mathieson said during one six-month period they had made five trips to the hospital, often having to take time off work and spend the night in Dunedin as well as pay their way.
Although Health New Zealand has a national travel scheme in place to support those needing to travel long distances for care, Ms Mathieson was not deemed eligible to access the scheme.
"The inequities that we faced were around the national transport scheme.
"It didn’t seem to be very national. It was impossible for us to claim it," Mr Mathieson said.
One of the key criteria for an adult to access the scheme is that they need to live about 350km one-way from the hospital.
Wānaka is 270km to Dunedin, which meant that Ms Mathieson was not covered.
"I was looking at it and thinking, ‘well, who then in New Zealand actually qualifies to get it?’ Probably only the people out on the West Coast," Mr Mathieson said.
Travel was only one of several issues the couple faced, system inefficiencies also top of the list.
Mr Mathieson recalled an appointment in Dunedin with an anesthetist that only lasted about 15 minutes and did not include a physical examination.
"We walked out of there like, ‘why couldn’t this be done on Zoom call?’ We both could have gone to work for the day.
"We’ve come all the way to Dunedin for no other reason than a 10- or 15-minute consultation."
Mr Mathieson attended the Rural Health Roadshow held last week, hoping to express his frustrations to Mr Doocey.
The event was attended by 300 people, and Mr Mathieson left the meeting feeling the minister had not taken attendees seriously, and with little hope the community would see any changes.
"He [Mr Doocey] said, ‘we need a road map. We need to know where we’re going’. And I thought, ‘by the time you get your road map sorted, you might not even be in power’."
Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith shared a similar lack of hope following the meeting.
"It was good for them to get in front of the community. But it was certainly unclear as to whether there would be real changes and investment in services in the Upper Clutha."
But Mr Doocey’s visit, along with Health Action Wānaka’s private meeting with Health Minister Simeon Brown, was a symbol of hope for Upper Clutha Community Board chairman Simon Telfer.
"Wānaka wasn’t being talked about in a health context at all and then 15 months on, we’re getting meetings with ministers and ministers are visiting."
Mr Telfer felt optimistic that change was on its way, especially with advocacy groups such as Health Action Wānaka continuing to fight for equity.
"I think we had a very strong case through some constructive questioning ... I’m hoping that will translate into greater budget being spent here and service provision."
