United Future Policies
	Adult Policy
	A healthy population is essential to the economic prosperity and social well being of our families, communities and our nation. United Future recognises the need to provide quality healthcare services for people who are ill or who have disabilities. We believe that targeted health promotion and preventative strategies must be the government’s highest health investment priority.
		Increase support for mothers before and after birth, ensuring high quality care and support including home visits by Plunket.
		Ensure the issue of access to services in rural communities is addressed by establishing an independent commission of inquiry charged with developing a rural health strategy built around families and local communities.
		Introduce a more holistic approach to mental heath. Encourage government agencies to work together on early intervention, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of mental health patients.
		Establish a National Cancer control strategy to co-ordinate and monitor new registrations, treatments, research, health promotion and public education programmes.
		Support effectively targeted anti-smoking, cervical, breast cancer and osteoporosis screening programmes.
		Develop more effective campaigns to reduce the use of illegal substances and provide comprehensive support to users in order to reduce the risk to themselves, their families and the community.
		Ensure there are sufficient community nurses and other welfare agencies so that people can be treated at home where possible.
		Provide better incentives for the nursing, rehabilitation and treatment of the elderly in non-medical institutions, such as rest homes, at home and in retirement villages including a review of asset testing rules.
		Review the role and operations of Pharmac to ensure that not only are pharmaceuticals made available at the most competitive price, but also that the interests of individual patients are taken into account when funding decisions are made.
		Ensure hospices are properly funded so that proper care and death with dignity is achieved, and not promote an argument for euthanasia which ceases to value their lives.