Health Minister Tony Ryall has told a rural GP conference the financial cost of the Christchurch earthquake will have an impact on health spending.
Mr Ryall says although there will be an increase in health spending in this year's budget there won't be as much as there otherwise would have been.
The Government this week said its operating deficit will likely be more than $16 billion, $5bn billion more than forecast; with some of that due to the earthquake.
He was addressing the Rural General Practice Network Conference being held in Wellington.
