Martin Johnston writes in the New Zealand Herald:
The Government wants to force private health services and funders to provide statistics, sparking patient-privacy objections and a demand for payment.
The Public Health Bill extends the obligation to provide statistics requested by the Health Minister, which now rests with district health boards, to “any provider or funder of services”. That covers a multitude of state-funded services provided by non-government organisations (NGOs), as well as private hospitals, private surgeons and health insurers.
Auckland Women’s Health Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams told MPs hearing submissions on the bill that at a recent council meeting, “it was reported that the Ministry of Health is now demanding case notes from NGOs who have contracts with them.
Read more at New Zealand Herald