Budget 2022 misses key players in community-based healthcare, says Stroke Foundation

The Stroke Foundation of New Zealand says that Budget 2022 offers very little support to the hundreds of health-related NGOs struggling to provide services to people “falling through the cracks” within the New Zealand Health System.

The funding of $102 million which has been set aside for community healthcare, makes up a mere 0.9% of the record $11.1 billion funding announced for the health sector in Aotearoa and fails to recognise how health-related NGOs currently subsidise the health system to the tune of $2 billion per annum.

"$102 million for community healthcare services still means there is gross underfunding of services provided by the NGO sector," said Jo Lambert, Chief Executive of the Stroke Foundation.

With over 9,500 strokes experienced in Aotearoa every year, the brain-related disease is the single biggest cause of serious adult disability in the nation.

"Stroke is a devastating condition that affects the lives of thousands of New Zealanders. As Aotearoa’s only national charity focused on preventing strokes, improving outcomes, and saving lives after stroke, the Foundation is currently fighting a growing tidal wave of strokes, with very little support for our mahi," says Jo.

The Sorry State of Health-based NGOs

The wealth management firm, JBWere, in their report titled "The New Zealand Cause Report", shed a stark light on the difficulties faced by health-based charities and NGOs operating in Aotearoa.

One in five health-based charities has experienced a more than 50% drop in their revenue in 2021, following the pandemic-induced recession, despite increased demand for services. Half of all healthbased charities experienced a drop in revenue greater than 20%.

The ‘State of the Sector’ survey by ComVoices states that post-pandemic, 80% of all charities were battling increasing demand for services.

The Way Forward

The Stroke Foundation welcomed the positive developments arising from the record health funding proposed, highlighting the emphasis on health outcomes for Māori, the intent to improve collaboration within the health system, and the removal of barriers to health equity such as the “postcode lottery”.

The shift to focussing on better, earlier care, the Foundation said, is an opportunity to recognise the critical role played by community health services in relieving the pressure on the health system.

The Stroke Foundation reiterated the need for the Health System to partner with health-based NGOs to deliver positive outcomes for all people in Aotearoa.