Reti secretly wants to privatise Health

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, November 30th, 2024 - 21 comments
Categories: david seymour, Economy, health, politicans, Privatisation, Shane Reti, uncategorized - Tags:

This is unfortunate.

Shane Reti has spilt the beans, he has let the cat out of the bag, he has given the game away and has spilled his guts about what he wants to happen to health.

He has stated that privatising health is not his overt policy. Which can only let us conclude that it is his covert policy.

He was asked, given David Seymour’s openly expressed desire to privatise health on what he thought about the proposal.

From Ruth Hill at Radio New Zealand:

“I have the privilege of being the Health Minister and that’s not my overt policy,” Reti replied.

He would like to see “greater collaboration” with private facilities and private operators, particularly on the government’s list targets.

However, his message to the private sector was that taxpayer money had to benefit the public, and they had had a “quid pro quo responsibility” to build capacity in the public system.

“That is the deal – this is not just Crown funding going to your balance sheet, God bless you….

“So you will see us increasing the relationship and outsourcing to the private operators – that is not at all a step toward privatisation at all, that is not my agenda.

“My agenda is to lift the capacity of the public system so it’s there when we need it.”

Increasing the relationship and outsourcing to private operators sure sounds like privatisation to me.

And this coming from a Minister with interests in private health companies is a bit hard to take.

Health is being underfunded and the carnage from this is clear to see. Outsourcing services to private providers is the qunitessential definition of privatisation. Creating the problem first is straight from the Atlas textbook on privatisation.

Hang on. Health is going to go from crisis to crisis.

21 comments on “Reti secretly wants to privatise Health ”

  1. Kay 1
    30 November 2024 at 9:59 am

    I doubt that anyone here is surprised in the least, because selling off/privatising anything that isn't nailed, bolted, tied and superglued down is their MO.

    So once again, the blame falls ENTIRELY on the people who voted this mob in, and the people who made the choice not to vote. They cannot say they didn't know.

    Reply
  2. Mike the Lefty 2
    30 November 2024 at 10:44 am

    In the past ACT have talked about privatising health by having companies running just about everything to do with health AND everybody given vouchers to pay for it, and once you have used these up you are on your own.

    It doesn't take much to imagine the kind if issues that would happen – eligibility, trading or sale of vouchers, etc.

    Seymour is cock of the walk at the moment and will not let anybody get in his way, including Shane Reti.

    Reply
    • bwaghorn 2.1
      30 November 2024 at 7:38 pm

      Seymour is cock of the walk at the moment and will not let anybody get in his way, including Shane Reti.

      With a bit of luck the fall is following close behind the pride of the fool.

      Reply
  3. Ad 3
    30 November 2024 at 12:00 pm

    Seymour is the id of National.

    National keeps 'overt' deniability, and National supporters keeps their blushes.

    It's a fast impressive rise, preparing for Deputy Prime Minister next year.

    Who can match him in the Greens?

    Reply
  4. SPC 4
    30 November 2024 at 12:14 pm

    It is National's covert policy to usher in ACT's more extreme policy via coalition agreements. "Boiling the frog" is the normalisation of this rightward drift.

    The occasion where this occurs outside of coalition agreement requirements, is the "tell".

    This is done by asking for "expert" advice, and then using advice amenable to these goals (being adopted. by Ministers). Bill English, Kainga Ora etc.

    Reply
  5. higherstandard 5
    30 November 2024 at 3:41 pm

    Utter nonsense and fomenting of happy mischief by MS.

    Having private hospitals work through the public surgery lists has been going on for decades. They have the capacity and they do it more cheaply than the public system.

    As for the patients, they get their surgery more quickly at no additional cost.

    Reply
  6. thinker 6
    30 November 2024 at 6:41 pm

    This is definitely just my opinion, but I'm not sure Shane Reti has the capacity to secretly want to do anything. He seems to just do what the little voice on his shoulder is telling him to do.

    And, despite winning the biggest share of the vote, the little voice seems to be parroting what around 90% of voters didn't vote for.

    Reply
  7. feijoa 7
    30 November 2024 at 9:04 pm

    I have worked in both public and private health. Essentially, the private system patients are well, and are having planned, elective surgery. Of course it's cheaper.

    The public system on the other hand has to run 24hr ICU, delivery suite, neonatal care, ED, acute mental health care, etc. In addition the most complex cases and those with multiple health conditions are managed publicly.

    There is just no comparison.

    IF Labour play it right, health could be the issue that hands them the next election.

    Reply
    • Descendant Of Smith 7.1
      30 November 2024 at 9:23 pm

      The DHB model also pushed privatisation by being unable to move patients as easily between DHB's to maximise capacity.

      You also get kicked out sooner in private – family member had varicose veins stripped done at public expense in a private hospital, got kicked out the next day and they complained about her getting blood on the carpet as it ran down her legs while she hobbled to a taxi to take her home. Next patient please.

      They also get lots of free nursing student labour.

      Public hospitals such as Middlemore fix up the private sector balls-ups eg failed cosmetic surgery and if you have a serious injury on the operating table such as a heart attack you go to public because private can't manage that or have the equipment to do so.

      It is always nice to ask those pushing private as better than public to suggest when they have a major car accident and their life needs saving that they should ask to go to their favourite private hospital. They'll most likely die but at least they can die knowing they were in the best place for them.

      Reply
  8. Heather 8
    30 November 2024 at 11:02 pm

    I wrote to Dr Reti very publicly, this was picked up by radio news last week and a variety.of newspapers.

    Hundreds replied about being trapped at home because 300.days seemed a bit stiff to even get an appointment let alone an.operation but Reti seemed gung ho about it

    Mine.got so.bad could barely walk.but no.decussion.change from Reti, there would be.no reprioritisation, you could lie in the gutter

    I did what h e wants you.do.and went private, only 2 nights, you would think.he could slip

    A few souls into.his private hospital. But alas no.there will.be re reprioritisation. They will lie in their beds in agony.

    A caring man Dr Reti who.has forgotten he is here to serve all people, not only those that can.go.private

    Reply
    • Kay 8.1
      1 December 2024 at 9:48 am

      Doctors who bring the profession into disrepute can be struck off. At the bare minimum there would be a Medical Council hearing.

      The moment that Reti went along with the tobacco fiasco, he lost all credibility as a doctor with his profession and the public. maybe he didn't have much clout, but had he made his opposition clear very loudly and publicly, then resigned from parliament and gone back to be a practicing GP, he would have everyone's respect. The fact that he didn't means it's all about the power.

      The deliberate indifference to the many who can't afford private healthcare/can't get insurance in the first place, is unforgiveable from a so-called 'medical professional.

      His conflict of interest with private hospitals, and obvious promotion of said, also brings the profession into disrepute, as one of their members is clearly benefitting from policy he is promoting.

      I crossed paths with Reti a few years ago in front of the health Select committee. he and Louisa Walls were the only MPs really challenging Pharmac over their actions towards our group, asking pertinent questions, while nearly all of parliament were too scared to criticise them. I remember being impressed with him at the time, but am now wondering if it was because he was an Opposition MP.

      Reply
  9. James 9
    3 December 2024 at 8:37 am

    Most corrupt government NZ has ever had. Reti refuses to respond to polite emails, Luxon refuses to front up to media, NZ Frist and ACT are knee deep in all sorts of conflicts with investments.

    Reply

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