Read on Twitter
In NZ today the care & support available to us differs depending on the cause of our impairment. The two systems lead to very different outcomes. That’s not fair. It’s not how it was intended to work. It's time to build a fair system we can all depend on when we need support. https://twitter.com/radionz/status/1322989280952635392
In our current accident ,injury and impairment support systems people receive different standards of care. Different treatment, rehabilitation and income support based on how they got their injury or impairment. Some people are left to struggle with the bare minimum.
Families are expected to pick up what people in government choose not provide. While others, though random chance, can access quality ongoing care they need to be well. This was not how our system was supposed to work.
In 1966 the Royal Commission suggested a groundbreaking policy. A public insurance scheme to care for people with an injury. It proposed that no matter how someone got an impairment, they would receive ongoing care and support under a singular system.
People in govt over the years have chosen to create a two tiered system. High quality care & support is available to people who experience impairment through an accident. While those impaired in other ways are left to struggle in other public systems not set up for their needs.
It is like an unfinished transport network. People living in some parts of a city can't get where they need to go because no footpaths, cycle lanes, bus routes or roads were built near their homes. While others are lucky enough to get infrastructure built to their front door step
It means some people can get to where they want and need to be, while others, for reasons out of their control, are stuck unable to travel anywhere at all.
Currently too many people are experiencing a substandard, unkind, even harmful system. It happens because their impairment was present at birth, caused by cancer, or depression, not an accident.
It does not make any sense for collective wellbeing that we put effort into preventing further ill health and disability for some people. While others are pushed into stressful experiences by the system that causes even more harm.
There is an opportunity to complete the unfinished system now to improve lives. A growing group of people across political spectrum have raised concerns about the issue. There are significant reviews in other areas of social policy being undertaken.
And we have a government who has signalled they want to deliver services that are kinder and fairer. Services that are focussed on prevention and have our collective wellbeing over the long term at the heart. These factors make this an ideal time to act.
We have the chance to improve the way that our society provides rehabilitation, income support, and care for those with injuries and impairments. We can prevent further ill-health in people who have impairments and injuries.
Over the long term we can ensure we have a society that everybody can be part of regardless of health. Whether that be through paid work, caring for others, educating and supporting, creating and experiencing happiness. That is better for all of us.
The evidence shows that it is possible to build an effective and integrated network of care. One that doesn't push people into poverty & further ill health. A system that encourages people in government to put people at the centre of the support.
A lot of people want a system that treats all people with respect and works as it was originally intended. Politicians need to know how many of us care about this, and want a better and fairer system.
This thread is informed by research done by Warren Forster, and by the values of fairness and collective well-being that so many of us share.
This thread also clearly flies int the face of my stated intent to say less on Twitter.
