9. 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
Although I am delighted that the number of elective surgery procedures has increased by 12.6 percent on a case-weighted basis under this Government—and by more than that when out-patient procedures are taken into account—there is always more to be done. This Government will never be complacent.
Why did the cardiac unit at Auckland City Hospital cancel or unschedule 369 operations last year, which, in the staff’s own words, compromised patient care, grew waiting lists, and cut morale at that vital service?
When a question similar to that was put to me last week, the Auckland District Health Board released a press statement that gave a large number of reasons for that situation, and I refer the member to it.
Ann HartleyI have seen one report that states the only way to reduce the pressure on elective services is to start charging patients for their surgery, so that only wealthy New Zealanders will be able to access public surgery services. That proposal came from Dr Don Brash, who firmly supports the Americanisation of health care in this country. This Government will never support such measures, because they directly contradict mainstream New Zealand values.
Dr Don BrashHow can it be that the cardiac unit staff in Auckland are saying, in these leaked minutes, that because of cancellations many more operations could have been done, that patient care is compromised, and that those lucky enough to be operated on are sicker and sicker; and why has this Minister not said a word to the Auckland District Health Board about the bureaucratic mess surrounding cardiac surgery there, when it is increasingly clear that there are quite serious systemic problems in the delivery of cardiac care in Auckland City?
There have been serious problems with the delivery of cardiac care in the Auckland District Health Board. The Auckland District Health Board last week released a press statement explaining what the problems were or are, and what it has been doing or is doing about them.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Does the Minister believe that as a result of the 369 cancelled heart cases at Auckland City Hospital, 133 people are on a waiting list who exceed the points needed for treatment, and another 140 people have been on a waiting list for over 6 months; and what will he do about solving the problems at the Auckland heart surgery unit?
Yes, and the solution lies in an examination of the press statement that the Auckland District Health Board put out last week, in which it indicated what had been done, and what still needed to be done in order to address a bunch of problems that it had faced. One of the problems the Auckland District Health Board has faced is that it has shifted the entire services of Green Lane Hospital into Auckland City Hospital. That is the biggest health shift that I know of in New Zealand’s history. It has gone substantially without a hitch, except that there has been a temporary fall-off in surgery. If the member would like to know a little more, I will tell him; if the member does not, that is fine.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Does the Minister stand by his answer in the House last week that the decline in cardiac surgery at Auckland is due in large part to increased angioplasty at Waitematā District Health Board, given that Waitematā District Health Board does not actually perform any angioplasty and never has done?
I refer the member to Hansard, where he will find I said to him that if he intended to hide behind a primary question that gave no idea of the supplementary question, then I would be forced to try to guess at an answer. I did guess at an answer.
Dr Jonathan Coleman Link to this
Would the Minister recognise that receiving a written question on something as vital as heart surgery is a pretty good clue that an oral one may follow, and is today’s tabling of a correction to an oral answer from the Minister something that we can look forward to on an ongoing basis?
Hon Dr Michael Cullen