When the Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora board was abolished last month , it prompted a political debate about whether the health system was badly managed or underfunded. New analysis suggests it has never been given enough money – including for the year ahead. Health NZ is unlikely to be able to find $1.
4 billion in savings without cutting into frontline services, new analysis shows. Newly appointed commissioner Dr Lester Levy has been tasked with cutting costs after the centralised health agency was found to be overspending by $130 million a month . Levy has said this can be done without affecting the frontline, and that the health system’s problem is overspending, not underfunding.
His appointment in place of the Health NZ board led to a political debate over whether the overspending was caused by financial mismanagement or underfunding ..
