Sandy Milne

Thank you for running my letter in last Wednesday’s Beacon, which you entitled “Advocating for seniors’ driving rights”.

I reported rip-off charges for what I assert are ill-considered and over-the-top medical tests for drivers over 80 years of age.

I received more supportive feedback on that than from any letter of mine that you have run in the past.

Most have been from Beacon readers who have been passersby or fellow shoppers at Pak’n Save. I have had many phone calls, emails and texts, and one of them, from a frequent Beacon writer, read as follows,

“Hi Sandy, loved your letter today. My mum has her $130 doctors visit today plus a visit to optometrist ($35), plus cost of new licence fee. It’s a lot for a pensioner.”

I got a call from another Beacon contributor who surprised me by reporting that his driver’s medical check-up cost $120, $15 lower than my quote, and we were in the same medical practice.

Your readers may already know that most, if not all GPs in Whakatāne, are now essentially partners/employees in for-profit taxpayer-funded corporations and that for some of those profit-takers, overseas outfits (eg a pension fund for teachers in Canada), get the loot at our cost.

I am anxious to check my facts and keep up-to-date. We should brace ourselves for more such shenanigans.

If any Beacon readers have information or comments on this Americanisation of another aspect of our health system, especially regarding their own GP practice, please contact me, preferably by email [email protected]. I shall treat any messages as confidential.

I advise readers to visit the NZ Transport Agency website and check on wiser alternatives to doctors of medicine for these check-ups.

As I previously reported, I have invited Greypower president Victor Luca to help lead the charge on this. I am about to ask him if I may give a few words at today’s Grey Power AGM in Knox Church at 10am. Come support us if you can.