Primary health care providers have expressed concerns about the impacts of under-funding at a national hui this month.
Health Care Aotearoa spokeswoman Rowena Gotty said many community-driven and governed primary health care services were in danger of being stretched to breaking point.
"Primary health care services are being hit by a double whammy," she said.
"In addition to cuts to overall funding for national PHO contracts, we are also experiencing cost cuts under the local funding arrangements administered by district health boards.
"The decision-makers don't seem to realise that every hour of service provided by a GP or nurse or community health worker that is lost runs the risk of adding to the Government's eventual health bill," Ms Gotty said.
"Cutting access to primary services and treatment runs counter to the goal of decreasing avoidable hospitable and emergency admissions."
Health Care Aotearoa clinical advisor Dr Kathy James said the impact of any funding cuts would be worst in the coming winter months when the elderly and the young were at their most vulnerable. "For our members there is no fat in the system to trim.
"It simply isn't a case where they can cut costs in bureaucracy and back room functions simply because they put almost all of our funding into front line services."
Health Care Aotearoa is working with its members to argue the case for full support of innovative community-driven and governed primary health care services.
