Media release from Capital & Coast DHB

Traditionally Capital & Coast DHB has been able to give additional funding to a number of primary care providers. As part of its 2011/12 Annual Plan the amount of funding was reviewed.  A number of providers were affected by this, including Newtown Union Health Service.

At its Board meeting today the decision made in 2011/12 was upheld. The Board did not increase the amount of funding available to Newtown Union.

Board Chair Dr Virginia Hope said they had given a petition, presented at the June Board meeting, a great deal of consideration. "The Board acknowledges that Newtown Union Health Service performs a valuable service and works with a high needs population. This has always been, and continues to be, recognised in the substantial additional funding that it receives," said Dr Hope.

In making its decision the Board Chair said it was not easy, but they needed to be fair and reasonable across the district.

CCDHB CEO Mary Bonner said this service change was about living within our means and that Newtown Union were advised more than a year ago that CCDHB would exit the Community Services contract, worth $273,494, and that the savings were to be ongoing.

"Newtown Union practice covers 2.3% of the people enrolled in general practices in CCDHB's area, which includes Porirua and Kapiti. It has 6% of the high needs population and receives 26% of the discretionary funding that goes to GPs and PHOs, over and above their core service funding for GP visits and service to improve access funding," said Mrs Bonner.

Of the $3 million in funding Newtown Union receives annually, just under $1 million is for first contact services - or their core funding.

"For this particular practice, on top of the $1 million core funding, CCDHB continues to fund an additional $1.5 million per annum to support Newtown Union's vulnerable population. This is used for helping refugees and immigrants, primary mental health, diabetes program, immunisation and other work focused on those with high needs," said Mrs Bonner. "There is no other practice in our region that has this level of extra funding."

Capital & Coast has always indicated a willingness to work with NUHS to identify how to best configure service provision to support their practice population.