Media Release by Grant Robertson

The Government's much heralded, but underfunded, rheumatic fever throat swabbing campaign is failing before it starts, says Labour's Health spokesperson Grant Robertson.

"The Counties Manukau region accounts for almost half of all cases nationwide, yet will receive only a third of the allocated funding. Surely this misses the point of a campaign designed to target areas where the population is most susceptible to rheumatic fever.

"Overall the campaign looks to be dangerously underfunded. I understand only about $3.5 million, of a total allocated $12 million, is being spent on the actual swabbing process. Where is the rest of the money going? How much is being spent on administration and how much is actually going to frontline services?"

"The Ministry is asking providers to sign contracts that require swabs to be done three times per week at each school, and follow up where throat infections are identified, with family visits and further swabbing," Grant Robertson said.

"That's a hugely labour intensive exercise that will undoubtedly put extreme pressure on those who have to deliver the programme around the country.

"The problem in Counties Manukau is particularly bad. Health professionals, such as Prof Diana Lennon from Auckland University have warned the Government that the funding distribution is unfair, and that the programme will not achieve what it is meant to do.

"We know that there is a commitment in the community to fight rheumatic fever, and organisations at the coal face will make do with what they get. That is unreasonable and is certainly not deserving of the hype the Government has created around this programme," Grant Robertson said.