5. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What reports has he received on primary health care?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
New research from the Commonwealth Fund shows that New Zealand has one of the world’s best primary health care systems. New Zealand general practitioners are leaders in the use of information technology, electronic patient records, electronic laboratory results, and so on. New Zealand also has much better provision for after-hours primary care than do many nations. Our practices perform strongly in many measures of quality, and New Zealand has good levels of service coordination. Our primary health care providers have much to be proud of, but as always, there is still room for improvement.
Has he received any reports on aspects of our primary health care system that need improvement, and has he seen proposals to address any shortcomings?
Yes, I have. The Commonwealth Fund report shows that New Zealanders still find going to a general practitioner too expensive. However, the research was done only part-way through the low fees roll-out, and is therefore a very strong endorsement of Government policy in that regard. I am concerned, however, that the National Party is still on record as supporting higher doctors’ fees for patients. Its members should study the Commonwealth Fund findings closely. They really do need to get on with their inevitable U-turn.
Hon Tony RyallIs it not time the Minister of Health stopped picking the eyes out of various reports and admitted to the House that the most damning fact in this entire survey, which the authors have made very clear in the report, is that, based on doctors’ reports, long waits for elective surgery appear to be the norm in New Zealand; is it not time that he admitted that this Government is failing to deal with the desperate elective surgery needs of patients in this country?
I am agreeing with the member, if he would just like to hold his breath for a little while. I am on his side. I think the finding that New Zealanders—
Hon Trevor Mallard
Madam SPEAKERThe member who asked the question was heard in silence. Would members please give the member who is answering the question the same courtesy.
I agree with the member who asked the question, and indeed, that is a strong showing in the fund’s report. It was, however, research that was done around May or June of this year, and since then most of our district health boards have, at long last, moved to a situation where people will receive their surgery within 6 months. At the moment we have about 13 or 14 district health boards complying with that, and by Christmas time we will have nearly all of them complying. The very thing that that report showed is the very thing that this Government has fixed.