Podcasts about health minister andrew little

Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper says questions should be asked about Peeni Henare's conflicts of interest. National claims contracts around Covid and Smokefree New Zealand went to Henare's partner's ad agency. Soper told Heather du-Plessis Allan that because Henare is Associate Health Minister, it's a clear conflict. He says former Health Minister Andrew Little was asked if any conflict was looked into and said no. But Henare says he disclosed his relationship, and is confident that he has managed his interests in accordance with the Cabinet Manual. He says he made no ministerial decisions to contract with her business. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

General practices say it's devastating their staff have been left out of a pay parity package for healthcare workers. Health Minister Andrew Little today announced more than two-hundred-million-dollars to address pay parity for non-hospital health staff. But general practices were left out because Minster Little said he had seen no real evidence of pay difference, despite being supplied with figures. Niva Chittock reports.

Cabinet has agreed to on-going funding of $200 million a year so nurses in aged-care facilities, hospices and Māori and Pacific health-care organisations can be paid more. On Monday morning Health Minister Andrew Little announced $40 million will be made available in the remainder of this financial year, with $200 million a year after that, with recipient organisations required to use the money to bring nurses' pay in line with public hospitals. But GP nurses, who have been striking for a similar pay parity deal, miss out, as the minister says there is 'no evidence' of a pay gap. The minister spoke to Guyon Espiner.  

The government is boosting the pay of thousands of health staff who work outside of hospitals to bring them in line with those who do. Two hundred million dollars a year will be provided to fund the increase. Health Minister Andrew Little says the pay increase will vary across organisations.  New Zealand Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Despite 235 million dollars being set aside for mental health facilities in the 2019 Budget there are no more acute beds for mental health patients than there were in 2017. The independent Mental Health Foundation says there has been no material improvements. Kim Hill spoke to Health Minister Andrew Little. 

As we reported earlier this hour, there are no more acute beds for mental health patients than there were in 2017 despite 235 million dollars being set aside for mental health facilities in the 2019 Budget. Earlier, Health Minister Andrew Little admitted the sector had been slow to make progress. The Director of Mental Health and Addiction Leadership at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Tanya Maloney, spoke to Kim Hill

A Wellington woman is speaking out about her shock at the state of the hospital's emergency department when she was there earlier this month. She says a nurse handed her the Health Minister's contacts so she could tell him what she'd seen. The woman took her teenage daughter to the ED with pneumonia and says she saw people taking up every available space. Many of them vulnerable and facing long waits. The woman has asked not to be identified to protect her daughter's privacy. She spoke to Corin Dann. In a written response, the Health Minister Andrew Little says he's not aware of any queries that have come into his office via cards handed out at the ED. He says he is updated daily on patient demand and is discussing the pressures on the system with health officials weekly. He says the government has funded more health roles to help with staffing shortages.

More nursing students have come forward with concerning stories about their degrees and clinical placements. Dozens of AUT nursing students have contacted Checkpoint, sharing harrowing experiences of their final year of study. Some describe driving long distances to unpaid hospital placements, having to cover the cost of petrol, uniforms, and food. Health Minister Andrew Little told Checkpoint he will consider payments for third year nursing students. Some nursing lecturers say the number of students graduating their degrees and entering the stretched workforce won't improve without greater financial support. Tom Taylor has the story.

Our main nurses union says it is "flabbergasted" to learn enrolled nurses and nurse practitioners aren't included on the Government's residency Green List. The two roles were included on a list of 30 health professions that should "immediately" be given a fast track to residency, according to Ministry of Health advice that was leaked. The advice - provided to Health Minister Andrew Little a week ago - warned that failing to add the roles to the Green List would risk delivery of health services. New Zealand Nurses Organisation president Anne Daniels spoke to Māni Dunlop.  

Health Minister Andrew Little has recently suggested that pharmacists may be given permission to treat minor conditions to ease the workload GP's are currently facing.  GenPro Deputy Chair Angus Chambers says that he has concerns about pharmacists being brought in to treat minor ailments, as it's unclear as to whether pharmacists have the proper training. "Something that might appear minor to someone who is not trained could actually be quite significant, so we're not convinced this is a proper solution to our problems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest idea to help solve the nursing crisis is paying students for their placements while they're training. The Health Minister says it was put on the table earlier this year, with officials actively considering significant reforms. Students currently have to complete 11-hundred hours of unpaid placements in ‘real' clinical settings, but not all of that is in hospitals specifically. Health Minister Andrew Little told Mike Hosking there's a bit more work to be done on it. He says the attrition rate for nurses in their final nine weeks of placement is high and he wants to stop that happening. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of AUT nursing students have contacted Checkpoint, sharing harrowing experiences of their final year of study. Some describe driving long distances to unpaid hospital placements, having to cover the cost of petrol, uniforms, and food. Others say they've been put in unsafe working environments, despite rasising concerns with the university. Health Minister Andrew Little acknowledges their are issues with student attrition.  

The Mental Health Foundation is blaming extended wait times of mentally ill patients in emergency departments on under-investment. ED staff at North Shore Hospital have laid a formal health and safety complaint to Te Whatu Ora, saying some people seeking urgent mental health support are being stranded for up to days at a time. The report warns that staff and patients could be harmed if the problem is not urgently fixed. Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Māni Dunlop.

Cancer patients and people with chronic illnesses are being prioritised, in New Zealand's new nationwide health plan. Te Pae Tata is the first nationwide plan made jointly by Te Whatu Ora, and Te Aka Whai Ora - the Maori Health Authority. Health Minister Andrew Little says having the agencies working as equal partners is a "game-changer". It puts into action funding from this year's Budget, increasing health spending by 40 per cent to 24-billion-dollars. The plan prioritises workforce and workplace issues, as well as specific commitments to improve outcomes in maternity and young children, people with cancer, people living with chronic health conditions, and people living with mental distress. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister is touting the prospect of more meningococcal vaccinations thanks to the government's extra funding for the medicines-buying agency, Pharmac.  It could be included in the childhood immunisation schedule from next year, and for young people living in halls, dorms, and prisons. That's up for consultation at the moment.  Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Māni Dunlop.

National's health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says thousands of people are leaving emergency departments every month rather than wait. Wait times are under the spotlight again after a woman died in June hours after leaving Middlemore Hospital rather than face a huge wait. An independent review found the hospitals emergency department was "dysfunctional, overcrowded and unsafe" and only seeing half of its patients within six hours. Health Minister Andrew Little said no major metropolitian hospitals were meeting their ED wait time targets. National's health spokeperson Shane Reti has been speaking about the problems in parliament and joins Rowan Quinn. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6313978656112

No big city hospitals are meeting their target for treating emergency department patients within six hours.   A report into Middlemore Hospital described the emergency department as "dysfunctional, overcrowded and unsafe".  The report looked into the circumstances of a woman who left the overcrowded ED without being seen, and later died of a brain hemorrhage. Chair of the College of Emergency Medicine Kate Allan told Checkpoint the issues at Middlemore are being seen at other hospitals too. Health Minister Andrew Little said there is a lot of stress on the system.   

Doctors say the Government is trying to put a gloss on a dire situation. A damning review into Middlemore Hospital has found its ED is dysfunctional and overcrowded, with senior doctors calling for a trainee teaching programme to be scrapped due to unsafe conditions. Health Minister Andrew Little says it's been a difficult winter and immigration settings will help solve it. But Resident Doctors' Association National President Deborah Powell told Mike Hosking immigration won't fix things. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's yet to be any word on what action - if any - the government will take in response to a scathing report on the state of Middlemore Hospital. A review into the death of a woman after she left the hospital's overcrowded emergency department without being seen has identified serious problems. It found only half of all patients are seen within six hours, and described Middlemore as "dysfunctional, overcrowded and unsafe". Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Overseas nurses are working as 'stop-go' road workers rather than at hospitals because they can earn up to $10 more per hour. A civil construction manager has told Checkpoint he has four nurses working in traffic management because registering their qualifications here is too difficult and he pays them more. It comes at a crisis point for the nursing sector with around 3500 vacancies across the country and just a few hundred overseas visas approved since August. Health Minister Andrew Little told us he's open to ideas on how to plug the gap. RNZ reporter Tom Taylor went to find some.

Only 22 nurses have arrived in New Zealand from overseas since the government unveiled incentives to coax health workers here. They are among the 341 new additions to nursing in the past three months. The rest who have had visas approved were already in the country. Aotearoa is about 4000 nurses short - with some rest homes struggling to keep the doors open. And last week overwhelmed nurses around the country were refusing to work extra shifts in protest over pay and conditions. Health Minister Andrew Little says immigration is just part of the answer to the shortage.

Health specialists are playing catch up when it comes to waiting lists. More than 200,000 New Zealanders were sitting on a health-related wait list at the end of July; more than the entire population size of Hamilton. They include people waiting for surgery, a first specialist assessment and other treatment. Health Minister Andrew Little told Mike Hosking Health New Zealand is now working through the lists. He says they've been able to see around 50 percent of the people who have been waiting over 12 months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two new medicines are set to be funded by Pharmac, potentially affecting tens of thousands of patients. A proposal released this morning would fund Spinraza, a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, that currently costs up to 390-thousand dollars a year. The second proposal would fund adrenaline auto-injector pens, such as EpiPens, for those with life-threatening allergies. Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The Health Minister will get official advice on a bunch of new recommendations for reducing methamphetamine harm before deciding whether to adopt any of them. A report released by the Helen Clark and Drug Foundation advocates for a health-based approach that includes fully decriminalising possession of small quantities of any drug, including meth, a pilot where addicts are given a substitute stimulant or methamphetamine in tightly controlled circumstances if two attempts at rehab have not worked, and providing incentives for clear drug tests. The report concludes its approach may surprise some, but the alternative has failed to address meth harm. Lisa Owen asks Health Minister Andrew Little if the government is prepared to decriminalise meth.

More than 1300 midwives are taking the Ministry of Health to court, saying they are fed up with broken promises to pay and support them properly. The class action, being led by the College of Midwives, iss to be filed in the High Court today. It's on behalf of Lead Maternity Carers - or LMCs - the self-employed midwives who work in the community, providing pregnancy, birth and post-natal care for tens of thousands of parents and babies every year. Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Māni Dunlop.

By Rowan Quinn of RNZ More than 1300 midwives are taking the Ministry of Health to court, saying they are fed up with broken promises to pay and support them properly. The class action is being led by the College of Midwives and is expected to be filed in the High Court today. It was on behalf of Lead Maternity Carers, the self-employed midwives who work in the community, providing pregnancy, birth and post-natal care for tens of thousands of women and babies every year. The college said the midwives were not fairly paid for their work and expenses, and were not properly supported by the ministry to do their jobs. They had to meet work-related expenses on their own, like most self-employed people, but were locked into a contract and job requirements that did not give them the freedom that self-employed people had, it said. Chief executive Alison Eddy said over the past seven years, midwives had reached a number of settlements with the ministry over the problem. None had been delivered on, including the last one in 2018, that was supposed to have created a new contract and fairer pay, she said. They had been left with no choice but to sue the ministry for breach of contract. "We've just gone down so many blind alleys and hit brick walls. Without exerting our legal rights, we will just be treated badly," she said. Christchurch lead maternity carer Violet Clapham had signed up for the class action. Midwives like her were only paid for the service they provided, not for any of the other costs they incurred doing their job - including time and money spent driving to see clients, she said. The class action is being led by the College of Midwives and is expected to be filed in the High Court today. Photo / 123RF They were not even funded for the medical supplies they had to buy, such as scales for weighing babies and sterile gloves, she said. They did not get annual leave or sick pay, yet they were still contracted to provide a high amount of care - including being on call around the clock - and that gave them very little flexibility in their work. Midwives had shown a lot of patience waiting for the problem to be sorted, but some had moved on, she said. "That is the part that makes me the most sad because we're seeing very good midwives leaving the profession," she said. "They're left with no choice but to accept the conditions as they are, or leave the workforce." Eddy said pay was not the only problem. The midwives had no formal support structure the way that general practitioners, for example, did with Primary Health Organisations. That meant there was no one to help provide back-up or after-hours care if a midwife or their colleague was not available. Eddy said the college liked the model of care in place in New Zealand - where every person giving birth had access to free care for their entire pregnancy - but midwives needed to be supported properly to provide it. When the college met Health Minister Andrew Little and Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall this month, they seemed genuinely shocked at the midwives' conditions, she said. But after so many broken promises, midwives could not afford to wait any longer for action, she said. Te Whatu Ora, the new national health body, declined to comment, as it said the matter was before the court. It said the government had invested significantly in midwifery in recent years. - RNZSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's unveiled a plan to recruit thousands of health workers, including international doctors and nurses, into Aotearoa's struggling hospitals, GP clinics, aged care and beyond. Health Minister Andrew Little talks to Lisa Owen.  

The College of Midwives has asked the government to reconsider the evidence it's using to ban midwives from working if they haven't had the Covid-19 vaccine. In a letter sent to Health Minister Andrew Little and then-Covid Minister Chris Hipkins in May, the College says it understands why the government mandated the vaccine for health workers when the Delta variant loomed last year. It says it wants to make sure the decision still stacks up under Omicron. Reporter Jake McKee has more.

The Heath Minister is "dreaming" if he thinks it's not a crisis. That from one of 900 doctors who completed a survey by the New Zealand Women in Medicine Charitable Trust, that found the overwhelming majority believe the system is in crisis. Last night in an open letter to the Prime Minister the trust warned Aotearoa is at risk of a catastrophic collapse of the healthcare workforce". Still, Health Minister Andrew Little refuses to use the word "crisis". That has left many feeling ignored, as well as undermined and under pressure. Three doctors who took part in the survey gave Checkpoint their diagnosis of healthcare in this country and a taste of life and death on the frontline.

Doctors are demanding health officials and the government face up to what they're calling a staffing crisis. They say their pleas for help have gone unheeded, and now they're facing a "catastrophic collapse" of the workforce. They also say it's time health leaders admitted the system is failing. Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Morning Report.

New Zealand and the United States are the only two countries in the world that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products directly to consumers. Government reviews of the Therapeutic Products Bill have previously taken place in 1998, 2000, 2006, and 2019. All of these reviews have kept the status quo. In 2006, Dr Annette King, the Health Minister, called for a ban, but struggled to muster the support at the time. This interview with Health Minister Andrew Little is part of a larger story on Direct To Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising

On The Wire for Rāhina Monday! Joe speaks to Kurt Krause, a Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, about NZ's first case of Monkeypox. He also speaks to Max Rashbrooke, a Research Associate for the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, about political donation regulation and the motivation behind it. Trishil speaks to Professor David Menkes, Consumer NZ Research and Test Writer Belinda Castles, Health Minister Andrew Little, Royal NZ College of GPs Medical Director Dr Bryan Betty, and National Health Spokesperson Dr Shane Reti about Pharmaceutical Advertising in New Zealand, and whether the practise should be banned. And for this weeks Tomorrow's World, Isla and Stella spoke to Dr Emma Sharp from the University of Auckland about her projects with Soilsafe Aotearoa. That's us for the Monday Wire!

Those leading a new methamphetamine harm reduction programme in Murupara say covid restrictions unwittingly highlighted the serious nature of the community's drug programme. Te Ahi Mauri is modelled on Northland's Te Ara Oranga programme, credited with reaching thousands and drastically reducing drug-related harm. Health Minister Andrew Little unveiled the free service a couple a weeks ago, pointing to Murupara's higher than average methamphetamine-related offences and wastewater testing results. So our reporter Nick Truebridge and camerman Nick Monro travelled there to talk to some of those behind it. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6309091509112

Emergency departments around the country are under strain, and staff shortages mean some health authorities are delaying planned surgeries for weeks. The National Party says Health Minister Andrew Little is "dreaming" if he thinks that's not clear indication of a sector in crisis. Opposition leader Christopher Luxon spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Checkpoint has recently been reporting on the GP shortage that's forcing some of you to travel hundreds of kilometres to see a doctor or in some cases wait months to get enrolled in a local clinic. As many as half the country's GP clinics aren't taking on new patients - with a perfect storm of winter illnesses, Covid infections and short-staffing. It's also prompted a renewed call for a third medical school in Waikato to train more doctors. What is the answer? Health Minister Andrew Little talks to Lisa Owen.

The Health Minister's taken a swipe at one of the main nurses unions accusing it of failing to do its bit when it comes increasing wages. Nurses Organisation members were set to vote on a gender pay equity agreement in April but instead the 40,000 members decided to take it to the Employment Relations Authority. Andrew Little says the nurses would be getting more money in their pockets this week, if it wasn't for the professional body representing them. And to complicate things further Australia is looking to coax our nurses across the ditch with better pay offers. Health Minister Andrew Little talks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6307395942112

The days of the independent republic of Pharmac are over, says Health Minister Andrew Little. The Minister was commenting on a new report into the drug-buying agency which found it has contributed to health inequities. The independent panel found Pharmac's model delivered significant benefits, but Maori, Pacific people, disabled people, and those with rare disorders were missing out. Panel chair Sue Chetwin spoke to Corin Dann.

The drug-buying agency Pharmac has a much bigger pool of money to fund medicines following yesterday's Budget. The Government is investing an extra $191 million over the next two years - a sum that Health Minister Andrew Little says is the agency's "biggest-ever increase". Pharmac chief executive Sarah Fitt spoke to Corin Dann.

Health was a centre piece of the budget - capturing more than eleven billion dollars in funding as the Government presses ahead with its plan to replace DHBs with a centralised health service. Health Minister Andrew Little spoke to Morning Report.

Uncertainty continues to surround the future of the main building at Hutt Hospital near Wellington, and the services it provides. The seismic rating of the Heretaunga Block is 15 per cent of the new building standard and may have to be cleared, sparking widespread concern. Health Minister Andrew Little invited those involved in the decisions to a meeting at the Beehive last night. He spoke to Corin Dann.

National MP Chris Bishop says there will be no quick decisions about the earthquake-prone Hutt Hospital and its services, and it's worrying. The hospital's main block has been rated at 15 percent of the National Building Standard, and the DHB says it's exploring all options for relocating services. Health Minister Andrew Little invited health, local body and other representatives to a meeting in his Beehive office on Wednesday night. [picture id="4LSCWAY_copyright_image_293078" crop="16x10" layout="full"] Chris Bishop was there. He spoke to Susie Ferguson.

National MP Chris Bishop says there will be no quick decisions about the earthquake-prone Hutt Hospital and its services, and it's worrying. The hospital's main block has been rated at 15 percent of the National Building Standard, and the DHB says it's exploring all options for relocating services. Health Minister Andrew Little invited health, local body and other representatives to a meeting in his Beehive office on Wednesday night. Chris Bishop was there. He spoke to Susie Ferguson.

The government's promising to take some of the pressure off child and adolescent mental health services as part of a $100m Budget 2022 spend over four years. It includes $27m for community-based crisis services including home based respite and community crisis teams to help get people out of hospitals. Almost $19m is for specialist child and adolescent mental health and addictions services. Workforce development gets $10 million. But the big ticket item, at $90 million, is the expansion of the Mana Ake - the school based mental health programme that gives children the skill and support to deal with challenging things like bullying, grief and the separation of parents. Health Minister Andrew Little details how it will work.

The government's introducing a 'high-powered task force' to tackle the issue of ballooning waitlists for hospital operations and appointments. There are 27,000 people who've been waiting four months or more for the treatment they require. Health Minister Andrew Little talks to Lisa Owen.

The Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to cut the rapidly rising number of people waiting for non-urgent surgery in public hospitals. Health Minister Andrew Little has set up a taskforce to help hospitals take whatever short-term measures they can to reduce waiting times, and will be responsible for delivering a national plan by September. The taskforce will be led by Counties Manukau chief medical officer and colorectal surgeon Andrew Connolly. He spoke to Corin Dann.

Health Minister Andrew Little has announced hospital waiting lists will be managed nationally. He says managing the waiting lists nationally will cut the time people are waiting for operations and appointments that were postponed during the pandemic. The Minister says the work will be overseen by a taskforce led by the Counties Manukau chief medical officer, Andrew Connolly. Health correspondent Rowan Quinn spoke to Corin Dann.

The government has shared which regions have been selected as the first 'locality networks' of the new health system. It's exactly a year since the government announced it would scrap the country's 20 DHBs for a new entity - Health New Zealand. Health Minister Andrew Little was in Horowhenua today to explain how local voices will fit in the new system. Our political reporter Anneke Smith was there.

On this weeks Thursday Wire, Emilia speaks to Health Minister Andrew Little about the nurses pay equity settlement and nurse recruitment efforts. She also speaks to Dr Nic Rawlence from the University of Otago about his latest study that allows for a non-destructive extraction of ancient DNA from small fossils. Alex speaks to the University of Auckland's Dr. Alys Longley about her new collaborative art piece which was created across media during the pandemic. Joe speaks to Teanau Tuiono, Green Party spokesperson for Pacific Peoples, about the security and future of students in West Papua. He also speaks to David Dempsey, a Senior Lecturer from the University of Canterbury, about AI technology being used to detect seismic activity before volcanic eruptions. That's us for the Thursday Wire!

An overseas recruitment campaign targeting intensive care nurses has lured just three people into jobs here since it launched two months ago. The $300,000 campaign was set up to entice New Zealand-qualified critical care nurses - working abroad - to return home and help ease acute workforce shortages. Health Minister Andrew Little has told RNZ getting three jobs filled is a "good result". Political reporter Anneke Smith has more.

Health Minister Andrew Little says anyone who meets the criteria for Covid antiviral drugs will get them, whether they're vaccinated or not. [audio_play] "We have a basic principle in the health system, we don't discriminate on the basis of any factor, that includes those who've chosen not to be vaccinated." Paxlovid has arrived in the country and will be available next week. Doctors prescribing the pills will consider age, disability and whether a person is immunocompromised. Little told Morning Report people will have to see their GP in person to get a prescription. Pharmac has also secured access to the antiviral drug Molnupiravir and preventative medicine Evusheld, both of which still need Medsafe approval.