WellSouth Capitation Statement
The news about a proposed capitation uplift of 9.13% is welcomed by WellSouth and our network of general practices in Otago and Southland. Capitation is the system whereby a general practice is paid by the government via a PHO per enrolled patient.
In past years, the national negotiations for primary care and general practice uplift has been a fraught exercise, often ending in no consensus. This year, I was proud to be part of a small number of representatives from PHOs along with Justin Butcher from Pinnacle (Waikato) and Paul Roseman from ProCare (Auckland) working together, over successive weeks, to find a solution.
I am particularly proud of the uplift we have made for the rural sector which initially started at 3% but now sits at 6.43%. For us, in Southern, rural general practice makes up more than half of our network, our community, our people, and is where we see the greatest constraints.
The uplift is not without conditions, and there is a lot of catching up to do after years of under-spend. It also won’t instantly resolve our workforce pressures or patient wait times, but it will likely mean no fee increases, more investment in the sector – alongside other investments the government has announced – and general uplift in primary care, all of which are much-needed.
Primary Health Network CEO, Andrew Swanson-Dobbs
For more information, please refer to the GPNZ press release PSAAP funding outcome a significant step forward for general practice or get in touch.
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