1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: And the government's buying up more COVID tests so we 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: can keep getting them for free. Rapid antigen tests RAT 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: tests will continue to be supplied to the public for 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: free until the end of September. At the stage the 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: new rats will be bought with existing COVID nineteen response money. 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Shaneretti is the Health Minister and he's with us now 7 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: at Kilder. 8 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 2: Now, Greg Ja, very good to speak with you again. 9 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Why do we need to keep handing out free RAT tests? 10 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: Look, I know overseas they have had a co payment 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 2: put on RAT test, but just at this point in time, 12 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 2: we think if we were to move to that that 13 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 2: would need a more of a transition period than we 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: have the luxury for at the moment where we've still 15 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: got some rising rates of COVID. So the announcement we've 16 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: made today is certainly through the winter period and we 17 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: know we're at greatest risk, will continue to maintain the 18 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 2: eligibility that we have for free RAT tests. 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: Is there evidence that people are actually using the free 20 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: RAT tests? 21 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, that is I have seen some evidence of supply, 22 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: I say, you know of demand of people actually commenting 23 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 2: that there can be some supplace shoes because the demand 24 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: has been high. So the answer to that is yes, 25 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 2: as far as I can tell. Certainly it seems that 26 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 2: people are benefiting from the free reck test. 27 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, Are people testing as regularly as they should 28 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: be generally? 29 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 2: Look, it's an interesting question. I don't have any evidence 30 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 2: for that, but I do sense there is certainly an 31 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 2: appetite for New Zealanders to know if these symptoms they've 32 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 2: got are COVID related or not, because I do believe 33 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 2: they want to do the right thing and follow the 34 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: isolation recommendations if they are. So that's every sense that 35 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: I get. 36 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: So this funding goes through to the end of September, 37 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: so that'll cover us for most of winter. If COVID 38 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: cases are still tracking pretty high at that point, will 39 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: you continue to fund free tests? 40 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, we'll have to review that then. As you say, 41 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: we want to get through this at risk period. What 42 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: we know is that it's by modal two peaks peak 43 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: mid g and end of year. It maintains its normal patterns, 44 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: So this will pay through the September, which, if it 45 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: follows its last history, would mean we'd be in a 46 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: trough in a low incident period. So we'll review that 47 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 2: when we get to. 48 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: That point, how much is this going to cost us? 49 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: Ten million dollars ten million? 50 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: You're spending thirty million on increasing access to radiology services 51 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: as well. Just give us a bit of detailed there. 52 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 1: What's actually what we Were's the money going? What I mean? 53 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, So what this will do is it will mean 54 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: gps will be able to order ultrasounds and set scans. 55 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 2: And what this means is if there's no capacity in 56 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: the public health system in the required timeline for those 57 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 2: cts or ultrasounds, then they'll be referred to private radiology 58 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: at no cost to the patient. This will have a 59 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 2: huge range of outcomes. First of all, people will be 60 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 2: able to see specialists with a more definitive diagnosis in 61 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,839 Speaker 2: their hands. Secondly, they'll have some reassurance. But even before 62 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: they get to the specialist, because there is a bit 63 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: of a way time to get the first specialist assessment, 64 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 2: the GP will already have a presumptive diagnosis subsequent to 65 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: that radiology, And of course when they get to the specialist, 66 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: they've got the information in hand. Because what often happens 67 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: at the moment unfortunately, and a good example is ballstones 68 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: or kidney stones. I suppose the same is you're referred 69 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: to the specialist. You wait the first specialists assessment. Time 70 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: you get there, he or she says, I think it's fullstones. 71 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 2: Go in and have an opera sand or a ct. 72 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: So you go back into the system, cycle back through, 73 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: turn back at the first bucialist assessment or second it 74 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 2: would be with the result in your hand. Well, if 75 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 2: we can cut out one of those, and that's backing 76 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 2: and trusting GPS to have that expertise and knowledge able 77 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 2: to make this call, and the algorithm will help with it, 78 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: turn up your first bucious assessment with your presumptive diagnosis 79 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: and your X rays in your hand, and it's a 80 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: much smoother pathway. 81 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: Minister, heading into the election, National promised fifty new places 82 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: for students at med schools next year. You're only funding 83 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: twenty five. Why is that? 84 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: It's our intention to fund the rest of them over 85 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: following budget cycles, but we just didn't have enough in 86 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: help to do everything we needed to do. Once we 87 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 2: confronted the one point seven seven billion Farmatcliff that took 88 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: a lot of funds out of the system and we 89 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 2: needed to do that clearly, and so we were able 90 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: to fund a half of verse fifty and that we'll 91 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 2: be looking to fund the remainder of the following budget cycle. 92 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: Wouldn't it be an absolute priority to boost our doctor stocks. 93 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 2: Yes, it would, but as we've said before, this is 94 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 2: a seven to ten year plan. If we start people 95 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 2: at metsicol at seven to ten years before they're going 96 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 2: to come out of the other end. Whereas working on 97 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: the retention, there are some immigration things we can do. 98 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 2: Those are the here and now issues that we have 99 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: the doctor stock, but we sort of wanted to have 100 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: the best of both. Grow the long term homegrown domestic 101 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: pipeline a bit at the same breast, look at these 102 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 2: other other ways to manage our doctors. 103 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: All right, thanks for your time this evening. That is 104 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: Health Minister Shane Bretty. For more from Hither Du plus 105 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: Yellen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be from 106 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.