Q+A NZ heading toward US-style health system
Jul 12, 2025
Join Dr. Philip Bagshaw, a general surgeon and founder of the Canterbury Charity Hospital, alongside Bowen Pan, a director at NZME and tech innovator, and Karen Boyes, executive director of the Major Electricity Users Group. The discussion unveils troubling shifts toward a US-style healthcare model in New Zealand, exploring the implications of privatized healthcare and its impact on public services. They also delve into the evolution of NZ's tech scene and necessary reforms in the energy market amidst rising electricity prices. Engage with these pressing national issues!
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Risk of US-Style Healthcare
- New Zealand is moving toward a US-style healthcare system by expanding private sector roles and contracts.
- This shift risks reducing public sector funding, workforce, and training, weakening equitable care.
Training Limits in Private Healthcare
- Training in private healthcare limits doctors to simple cases, impairing readiness for complex surgeries.
- Public hospitals bear the burden for complicated cases, creating a risky care imbalance.
Advocate for Social Democratic Healthcare
- Adopt social democratic healthcare models like Europe's with guaranteed care rights.
- Focus on public funding through taxation or insurance to secure equitable, universal healthcare.
