Gisborne’s most vulnerable people are being “hung out to dry” by ACC cuts that have been enforced by “stealth”, say representatives from social agencies and Labour Party leader Phil Goff. More and more people with disabilities, injuries or mental illnesses, and many elderly, are denied funding for treatment and care by ACC, they say.Copyright © The Gisborne Herald
Mr Goff yesterday met around a table with representatives from eight social and health organisations to discuss growing concerns about ACC. After an hour’s discussion, he was left “angry” at what he felt was short-sighted policy by the Government.
“There are two types of cuts being made. There are the ones ACC is being upfront about and put in legislation, and then there are the most disappointing ones which are being done by stealth,” Mr Goff said. “ACC has tightened their criteria for funding so much that most people cannot fit it now, and the people who are being adversely affected are our most vulnerable.
“Have we really become such a mean and despicable society that we take away from the people who can afford to give the least? From the people who don’t have a voice?
“The Government is not being held accountable for how these changes are affecting our people.”
Presbyterian Support manager Leslynne Jackson said changes to ACC funding were distressing and dangerous for people seeking counselling. “Before someone is given funding for counselling sessions, they have to meet with a psychiatrist to be assessed. They then have to wait months to see if their request is accepted and during this time they can still be expressing anxiety and/or depression and they receive no help.
“The assessment sessions require people to tell personal histories, often of abuse or sexual abuse that they are not equipped to deal with. They are then left to deal with it on their own. That wait has gone from waiting six weeks to six months recently.”
Many elderly were getting ACC funding applications denied, with their age being cited as the reason, said Frances Toroa from Age Concern and Tony Weatherly of the Hearing Association. "They are always using the words age-related as their excuse to not pay up. But so often their injuries have come from their past employment,” she said. “These ACC assessors . . . what qualifications do they have to say what is age-related and what is a deterioration from past work environment?
“Elderly should be able to expect Government policy to look after them . . . but it doesn’t.”
While some people did go deaf because of old age, others did not. ACC should come to the party and assist, he said.
Chelsea Hospital chief executive Julie McCarthy said more than half of their patients came through on ACC funding, but the hospital has had its budget cut by 26 percent. “ACC is very proud that their decline rate has gone up from 13 percent to 23 percent. But challenging ACC decisions is actually very difficult.
“We had one patient come in the other day, requesting all of her patient files because ACC was prepared to fund surgery on one shoulder but not for her other shoulder,” she said. “There was no difference between the injuries. However, she is working with a lawyer in Wellington because that is the only way to make ACC budge.”
The rate of elective surgeries funded by ACC was dropping at an alarming rate, said Ms McCarthy. “Our GPs will end up just putting patients on DHB lists because that way they know the surgery will get done — but this is just transferring costs.”
Representatives from CCS Disability and Workbridge Gisborne, who work with people with a range of disabilities, said many of their clients had been hit with funding cuts because they did not neatly fit into one category or another. They were also being forced back into work or on to a sickness benefit.
This short-term solution would only make the long-term social problem even worse, said Mr Goff.
http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?id=18792
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