Otago Daily Times: Privatising our health system by stealth
Former Health Minister Pete Hodgson is warning that the Government’s proposed ophthalmology contracts risk shifting eye care in Aotearoa from a public service to a largely privatised one.
While the public and private health systems have long worked alongside each other, Hodgson argues these new contracts go far beyond short-term support. Covering all regions and lasting up to ten years, they create the conditions for the private sector to dominate eye health services over time.
His concern is not about whether private providers can help, but how and for how long. Long-term, nationwide outsourcing risks pulling specialists out of the public system, reducing training capacity, and leaving public services weakened. Once that happens, costs are likely to rise and the public system becomes harder to rebuild.
Hodgson challenges the Government’s rationale that outsourcing is simply about clearing waiting lists. If funding is available, he argues it should be used to strengthen the public system first, not replace it.
This is a policy choice, not an inevitability. A stronger public system, with short-term help from the private sector, remains entirely achievable.
What this means for our campaign
This is exactly why Kaitiaki Hauora is calling for a properly funded public health system that remains the backbone of care in New Zealand.
Our petition and open letter are still live and building support.
If this direction doesn’t sit right with you, now is the time to add your name.