Equity, access and resource allocation: planning hospital services in New Zealand

The desire to limit the growth of expenditure in the Western world has seen increased attempts to reallocate resources in the name of equity and efficiency. This paper reviews recent moves in New Zealand to achieve an equitable financing and distribution of hospital resources. While a more equal distribution of resources is likely to result from the recent reforms, redistributive policies of the type being implemented in New Zealand, which leave the basic structure of the health care system intact, may have only a marginal impact on improvements in access to care and health status.