Shortfalls between subsidies provided to GPs for child immunisations and the actual cost of delivering the service is likely to be stifling efforts to improve immunisation rates, a new report suggests.
The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IAC) report was commissioned by district health boards (DHBs) to assess the costs of delivering immunisation programmes to children.
While the national target for full immunisation by the age of two is 95 percent, Ministry of Health figures show actual rates for the last quarter of the 2007/2008 year were only 76 percent.
However, that figure was up from 67 percent in the first quarter.
The IAC report concluded that New Zealand had "mediocre immunisation coverage rates" and was failing to meet the national targets.
After collecting data it was estimated that each immunisation process took an average of just over 26 minutes and that practice nurses spent between 12 and 15 percent of their time involved in those processes.
The estimated cost for a standard vaccination was around $25, but data showed the current Immunisation Benefit Subsidy, funded by DHBs through primary health organisations PHOs, did not adequately reimburse GPs for the service delivery of routine immunisations.
It concluded the situation was likely to be working against efforts to improve immunisation rates and not giving an incentive for GPs to prioritise the service.
"This in turn may be why important activities, particularly the time commitment for opportunistic vaccination, appears to be a low priority at the practice level," the report said.
Lead chief executive for Primary Health Care - DHBs, Chris Clarke, said while there was a funding gap, there were other sources of funding available to cover the costs of delivering immunisations which were not included in the scope of the study.
They included primary health care capitation, or bulk funding, and other funding streams.
Mr Clarke said delivery and cost of immunisation was complex, particularly how to reduce inequalities and reach high health needs children who may not be accessing primary health care services.
"Measures to further improve access to general practice services and immunisation continue to be priority issues for the ministry and DHBs," he said.
Mr Clarke said it was the responsibility of DHBs, the Health Ministry, PHOs, general practice and others to ensure immunisation rates continued to increase and that the primary health care sector continued to be well set up and funded to deliver the service.
The IAC report was based on data collected between December 2007 and May 2008 from 24 general practices.
