Treasury may not have been right in urging the Government to focus healthcare spending on health reform.
Newly released Budget documents show the Government rejected Treasury's advice to scrap its health election promises, and put more money into fixing the health system.
It instead,  opted to top up Pharmac's budget, double the availability of cochlear implants, and provide more funding for Pacific health.
Otago University health policy expert Robin Gauld told Mike Hosking  while health reform is needed, no Government can ignore the here and now.
“The people who are the recipients of the Pharmac investment will just be enormously relived; many people have to go private to access drugs.”
Andrew Little is expected to provide a further update on those health reforms, in a speech to GPs later this morning.
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