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Mike's Minute: Cancer plan Government's best move in a long time

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Mon, 2 Sep 2019, 9:56AM

Mike's Minute: Cancer plan Government's best move in a long time

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Mon, 2 Sep 2019, 9:56AM

Can there be many critics of what the government has done on cancer?

If it doesn’t work we'll hear about it. But as it sits this morning, it's about bloody time.

How hard can it be to, at least on paper, provide a series of services, especially around health, that most of us would look at and feel as though, at least in theory, it's world class?

There is no reason we can't and shouldn’t have world class health care. Not for every itch or scratch, not for every small town and centre, but generally speaking at the tertiary level, access to world leading care is not too much to ask for, especially when you're dealing with our biggest killer.

And it's not like we don’t have examples. Britain yesterday was sighted as a country that appointed someone to be in charge of the disease, and as a result they’ve had a remarkable turnaround.

The postcode system we operate in this country with various DHBs and their individual failings defies belief and logic. And it's not just in cancer, a lot of illness and it's treatment tragically is more about where you live, not as to whether the condition can be treated properly.

To be fair, health is a nightmare politically and financially. There is no bottom to the hole. You could double the budget tomorrow and you'd still have people wanting more. More pills, more operations, more access, more treatment.

The scientific aspect of medicine constantly throws up new opportunities, and with it, cost. Where you draw the line is not just a financial one, it's a political one as well , which is why governments spend as much time as possible keeping health out of the news.

They may well find this with the Pharmac budget boost, another $60 million. It's good money, but you'll be startled at what pills cost, especially lots of them. And when the $60 million is spent, you will be perhaps unsurprised at all the people who still need help and start Givealittle pages.

But, and this is what governments are for, and what good governments understand, health is one of your touchstone issues when it comes to voting and support. If people feel they have good healthcare, good access to healthcare, and buy-in-large the services even if they never use them, are accessible, professional, and fair, then you have gone a long way to appeasing what can be a highly fractious and emotive debate. .

$60 million, a National Cancer Service, and a health czar held accountable for it with measurable results, is good health policy, and good politics.

It was one of the government's best announcements in a long time.

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