Primary healthcare appears to be bearing the brunt of a vicious funding cycle.  

New Royal New Zealand College of GPs research shows the sector's facing financial neglect, receiving just 5.4% of each health budget since 2009.  

President Dr Samantha Murton told Andrew Dickens it's costing more in the long run, as people get sicker.  

She says people are going to hospital at greater expense, meaning money can't be invested into primary care where the best work is done to prevent hospitalisations in the first place.  

Murton says they need 10% of the funding pool at least. 

LISTEN ABOVE