NZ Doctor
Despite the collective and consistent warnings about the consequences of successive years of underfunding, primary care was not prioritised. The public – and our workforce – is now at risk. We are at a crossroads, and if the next choices are not made with extreme care, they could cause irreparable damage to our health system.
In my conversations with politicians and health officials, there is now an understanding and agreement that the future of general practice is precarious. I believe our funders and decision-makers are also tuning into the situation’s urgency.
Our healthcare system is clearly crying out for a shift – a pivot away from reactive care to one focused on prevention, early intervention and quality services delivered closer to home. This reorientation towards primary care and general practice has been proven to not only improve health outcomes and system efficiency but also has the potential to reduce the downstream costs that come from a system bogged down by preventable illnesses or late presentations.
