8. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Is he concerned about the Government’s ability to meet New Zealanders’ need for elective surgery; if not, why not?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
I have said many times that this Government is ambitious and assertive about the need for continuous improvement. For example, I have asked the Ministry of Health and the district health boards to work with clinicians in the college of surgeons, amongst others, to improve the efficiency of operating theatres and to lift elective surgery volumes. The ministry announced some detail today. That is another example of the Government being open and constructive with its policy approach, while the National Party refuses to confirm anything about its health policy—other than saying it is going to put up doctors’ fees.
What sense of urgency is the Minister delivering in terms of the elective services crisis in New Zealand, when today his ministry and he announced a number of working parties on top of the addressing disincentives working party—including a new theatre efficiency working party, and plans for a working party on addressing acute demand—when New Zealanders have known about this situation for many years; why are we getting just another working party, when elective surgery would do the trick?
The member actually has not given us the complete list of working parties. This is a very busy space. We have still more than that, and the end result will be that we have a health system that produces more elective outcomes and results in more patients being seen in a timely way than has ever been the case, and I look forward to it.
Barbara StewartDoes he acknowledge the steadily increasing gap between the health system’s capacity and the public’s expectations, and is any public discussion planned on the implications of this; if so, when will it occur?
Yes, just about every day in the paper. The capacity of our health system has increased markedly since the change of Government, and the Budget, the workforce, the number of new hospitals, and the provision of health care are all a good deal higher than they were 7 years ago. However, the member is also correct in that our society has expectations—as do, it appears, others around the world—such that one could argue there is no such thing as enough money for health.
Sue MoroneyI have seen a report that migrants in this country are not putting undue pressure on public hospitals. That report goes on to criticise Tony Ryall and the National Party for their ignorance of health policy and their “Let’s kick a migrant.” attitude. That report is from a former National Party health Minister, Aussie Malcolm.
How will the health of 5,000 Canterbury residents be improved by their being culled from a hospital waiting list, on top of the 4,500 culled earlier this year; how will the health of those 5,000 Canterbury people benefit from their being culled off a waiting list?
The best answer is to say it is better for people to be seen by their general practitioner than by no one. I say to the member that if he has a copy of the advertisement, he should please read it or get someone to read it to him. He will see an openness and transparency in this system that is strange indeed to the National Party.
Has any district health board notified the Government of its intention to reduce elective surgery this financial year; if so, which?
Then how does the Minister explain the statement of intent of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board that he tabled in the House last week, which clearly stated that in order to meet a funding shortfall the district health board intended to focus on reducing elective services?
I refer the member to, when he gets hold of it, the district annual plan of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. He may find himself needing to withdraw his remarks.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Will the Minister admit that he is on target to deliver fewer elective operations—that is, fewer actual surgical procedures, rather than some mathematically concocted number—this year than 6 years ago, which means that New Zealanders will actually receive less elective surgery this year than when Labour took over?