MP Letter for patients version 2
Fees update for General Practices
Instructions for patients:
1. Copy and paste this letter into an email
2. Update the date, the name of your general practice you are enrolled in and put your name at the end of the letter
3. Find your local MPs name and email address from the New Zealand Parliament Members webpage - click here to access it. You can then copy and paste it into the letter below
4. Copy the Minister’s, MP’s and PHO email addresses and put them in the ‘to’ field in your email
5. Hit send.
Letter and details:
<<XX date 2024>>
Dr Shane Reti, Minister of Health
By email: S.Reti@ministers.govt.nz
XX name, MP for XX electorate
By email: firstname.lastname@parliament.govt.nz
ProCare PHO
By email: communications@procare.co.nz
Dear Minister,
Re: fees increase at General Practices
I am a patient at <<insert your practice name here>> in Auckland and I am writing to express my disappointment and concern about the recent fee increase at my local doctor. I understand my practice needs to increase their fees, otherwise they won’t be able to cover their costs, but it has made it very hard for me to go to the GP now.
Given all the increasing costs I have had to face recently in things like my power, water, housing and food bills, the timing of the fee increase is just another cost I must incur. Families are already doing it tough, and this is the last thing our community needs.
General practices are a key part of our healthcare system, and they provide essential care and preventative services that look after the health and wellbeing of my community. I am also concerned that even if I could afford the increased fees at my practice, they won't have enough staff to see me.
By raising general practice fees, many individuals and whānau, particularly those on fixed or lower incomes, are now going to find it increasingly hard to afford to go to their doctor. This is highly likely to lead to longer wait times at hospitals, and mean people leave it until the last minute to seek help when they are unwell.
I want a health system that is affordable and accessible to all New Zealanders, therefore, I urge the government to urgently invest in primary care, rather than taking an ‘ambulance at the bottom of the cliff’ approach to healthcare.
Our healthcare system needs realistic funding levels from the government, so that primary care is accessible for Kiwis. Therefore, I urge you to reconsider the government’s funding decision and explore alternative solutions that do not place an additional financial burden on those who can least afford it.
Ensuring affordable access to general practice services is not just a matter of health; it is a matter of equity and social justice.
Please consider the voices of those patients who are directly affected by this fee increase. I hope that you will take swift action to address this issue.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.
Ngā mihi,
<<insert patient name>>