Originally Posted by
davereid
Hope you are not too crook mate, its an expensive bummer being sick these days !
We can't solve the problem by pouring more money into health, as it will simply push the wages of those you describe at the top of the queue up and up, without reducing the queue !
IMHO the answer is simple.
Stop artificially limiting intakes to medical school.
Train everyone that wants to go, as long as they are bright enough.
Make 'em pay their own way, so if the F. Off to the US they dont take my tax dollars, and give 'em a tax break if they stay.
They want to. To give you an idea, only the top 1% get to apply to even go to med school and of that, only the top 10% actually get in. Thus, the cut off limit is so fine that many brilliant students can't get in.
The issue with training more doctors (in Auckland at least) is that they do not physically have the space to train them. Another med school needs to be built. Wellington is ideally placed but from what I understand the red tape is the issue.
The issues run much deeper than just doctors 'overcharging' and saying 'train more doctors'. The DHB's are the ones who seem unwilling to come to the party in any capacity that will make a difference.
As for wages, those you are talking about are in PRIVATE practise, not public thus your tax money has nothing to do with it. If you want to/need to see a consultant/specialist who is private, it is like any other business unfortuanately, they charge what they deem fit for their services.
To give some perspective on the issue, a junior doctor will work around 80hrs per week depending on the category of their run, and for this they will be paid around $80k. Senior doctors or consultants depending whether they are senior registrars or consultants will earn between $110k and $180k depending on their role.
In any case, of all of the doctors that I know, not one of them got into it for the money and money is not the motivating factor. The real issues with the DHB's are unsafe working environments.
Anyway, yes...any private health care be it a doctor or a dentist or whatever is expensive...and it does suck to have to pay for these kinds of bills, especially at a time like this.
Nail your colours to the mast that all may look upon them and know who you are.
It takes a big man to cry...and an even bigger man to laugh at that man.
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