6. BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Is he concerned at the findings of the latest hospital benchmark report, which shows that a majority of hospital emergency departments are struggling to meet target times for treating sick or injured patients; if not, why not?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, I am concerned, but at least in part for a different reason from the member, I suspect. I am concerned about the report as it fails to provide a real or accurate picture of the situation in emergency departments around the country.
Would he agree that one of the main reasons that more patients need treatment at hospital emergency departments is the lack of after-hours and emergency services formerly provided by general practitioners; if so, what is his ministry doing to rectify the situation?
The member should be aware that in many parts of the country the service formerly provided by general practitioners is still provided by general practitioners. In respect of the second part of the member’s question, as the member will be aware we have a working party on after-hours care. That working party has made an interim report, which is out for consultation that is due to conclude shortly.
Ann HartleyDoes he share the concerns of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine that the triage reporting process is flawed; if so, what will he do to address the problems?
Yes, I do share those concerns. At present a person’s waiting time begins when he or she is seen by a triage nurse, and ends when a doctor begins treatment. From 1 July the waiting time will stop when the treatment is started by a doctor or a skilled emergency nurse.
Can the Minister assure the House that his ministry will not seek to artificially improve triage times by simply changing the way in which the start of treatment is recorded, so that we do not find ourselves in the ridiculous situation whereby patients are recorded as being seen as soon as they begin filling out their Accident Compensation Corporation forms in the accident and emergency waiting room?
I certainly shall not be part of artificially improving the statistics, but I would put it to the member that if someone comes in, in need, for example, of resuscitation, which would mean triage 1, and he or she is immediately resuscitated by a nurse, or resuscitation is begun by a nurse, that person’s waiting time has, in fact, come to an end. At the moment we record it in such a way that it is not until the doctor is able to see that patient that the person has somehow begun treatment.
Hon Tony RyallFirst out of five. From the five countries that I draw my remarks—that is, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and USA, emergency room use in New Zealand is the lowest of all those countries. In respect of the waiting time in emergency rooms before a person is treated, New Zealand is the lowest of all five nations. In respect of difficulty in getting care on nights, weekends, and holidays without going to the emergency room, New Zealand is the lowest of those five nations. So in all of those cases, New Zealand rates No. 1 out of five. If the member wants to make that a mark out of 10, I will find another five countries to compare New Zealand with and I guess we will beat them, too. But we are the best of five nations. If the member has prejudices about the quality of our health care, he would do well to have them better informed by the facts.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I know that the Minister of Health himself is heading to be a consumer of the pharmaceutical budget with that sort of outrage, but the question was what mark out of 10 he would give emergency services in hospitals.
Madam SPEAKERI seek leave to table a newspaper interview where New Zealand’s Minister of Health, after 6 years of a Labour Government, and $4 billion extra, rated the New Zealand health system at 5½ out of 10.