New Zealand First has announced the first part of its “Make NZ Healthy” election plan, calling for a shift in health spending towards preventing chronic illness.
The party says New Zealand has “an epidemic of chronic illness” affecting one million people. It argues the health system spends too much treating illness after it develops and says it wants to “put prevention back at the heart of healthcare”.
The party released its proposals which include nutrition education from primary school through to medical training, an independent review of dietary guidelines and health coaches in general practice. It also wants to reduce administrative work for GPs and give them greater professional autonomy.
The party proposes funding research into nutritional interventions for mental illness, reviewing vitamin D levels and running hospital trials of intravenous vitamin C around surgery. Those trials would assess whether the treatment helps prevent or treat infections; the release provides no evidence that it does.
New Zealand First claims 59 percent of health spending goes towards treating chronic diseases and 1.75 percent towards prevention.
The plan also calls for changes to Medsafe and Pharmac rules concerning nutrients, and support for organic producers and agricultural research.
The party pledges to:
1. Put prevention back at the heart of healthcare.
2. Have a strong focus on metabolic health, the key driver of chronic illness.
3. Ensure that informed consent is a core part of quality healthcare.
4. Recognise that consumer choice is what leads to healthier decisions.
5. Promote nutrition from primary school to medical school.
6. Require a full independent review of our dietary guidelines.
7. Reduce administrative burden and restore professional autonomy in General Practice.
8. Support our GPs by bringing health coaches into primary care
9. Find better ways to acknowledge our nurses.
10. Fund our New Zealand scientists to assess nutritional interventions for preventing and treating mental illness.
11. Remove Medsafe/Pharmac barriers to recognised safe nutrients.
12. Invest in hospital trials to assess the effectiveness of intravenous vitamin C pre- and post-surgery for preventing and treating infections.
13. Fund a review of vitamin D and determine optimal levels for maintaining health.
14. Support farmers and growers by investing in agricultural innovation that improves productivity, soil health, sustainability and resilience while researching practical alternatives to potentially harmful agricultural sprays.
15. Back our organic producers, cut unnecessary barriers, encourage investment and innovation, and grow new markets so New Zealand’s organic industry can create more jobs, strengthen regional communities, and deliver greater value from our land.
New Zealand First says this is the first announcement in a larger health plan.