New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care.

“The Government is squandering an opportunity to improve the lives of those who need residential care, their families and carers unless it pauses work on the redesign of the aged care system,” says Labour seniors spokesperson Ingrid Leary.

“Labour members of the Health Select Committee back the call by the Aged Care Association Chief Executive Tracey Martin to pause the aged care sector redesign and undertake a process with greater transparency.”

At a select committee hearing today, National MP Dr Vanessa Weenink said she shared Tracey Martin’s “concerns about Te Whatu Ora frankly to be able to redesign the system”, in an astounding lack of confidence in an agency governed by a National minister.

Ingrid Leary said, “This Government is cutting $1.4 billion from the health budget behind closed doors.

“We are alarmed to hear reiterated from the Aged Care Association that Te Whatu Ora has been directed to reduce hospital bed nights by 200,000 per year.

“This is driving a chaotic and short-sighted redesign of aged care that could have significant impacts on how seniors access the care they need and deserve.

“This Government has the wrong priorities – it is focused on cost cutting not providing the care people need.

“We have an opportunity now to review the settings comprehensively based on evidence and best practice, but what we are seeing from this Government is a closed-door rushed approach focused on reducing hospital bed nights rather than the wellbeing of our seniors.

“While we acknowledge that finding sustainable ways to support our seniors to live well at home or in care is a pressing and significant issue that deserves our attention, we urge the Government to pause its bulldozer approach and allow public scrutiny,” said Ingrid Leary.