3. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he have any concerns about the ongoing performance of Wellington Hospital and the Capital and Coast District Health Board; if so, what are they?
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, I do have some concerns. It is well known that this district health board is going through some difficulties, not the least of which is the departure of a paediatric oncologist as reported this morning.
Why has the Government neglected report after report, warning about the continued viability of child cancer services in Wellington—reports that go back to the very first month that Labour was in office 8 years ago?
They go back a lot longer than that. I think there was a report in the term of the National Government that suggested two tertiary paediatric oncology services. This country has three, and the problem we are facing in Wellington is that the clinical number—the number of children with cancer—is mercifully low, about 20 a year, about 12 of whom travel from outside Wellington to Wellington now, so clinicians are interested in whether a shared service between Wellington and Christchurch can be put together. The district health board has signalled again its determination to do so.
Hon Marian HobbsWhen is the next meeting of the paediatric oncology steering group, which the Minister may be referring to, and what are the issues it is seeking to address?
By coincidence it is meeting today and it has two broad issues on its agenda. The first is how to ensure that the provision of secondary paediatric oncology is maintained, and I suspect that the group will come to the view that that is not a difficult issue—that is the status quo; the question is how to maintain the status quo. The more difficult issue is how we rebuild up to the tertiary service that existed until a few months ago. That tertiary service, it is hoped, will be in place by January. Indeed, the original reviewer who said we can get a good tertiary service in place alongside Canterbury said that it should be done by January, if at all possible.
Barbara StewartDoes he consider that the resignation of the sole remaining child cancer specialist at Wellington Hospital is indicative of medical workforce shortages right throughout New Zealand; and what is his ministry doing to rectify this situation?
There are, from memory, about six paediatric oncologists in New Zealand. Given that there are about 20 patients going to Wellington each year, one would be hard-pressed to say that we would need more paediatric oncologists. What we need, however, are paediatric oncologists who are able to work with one another to keep one another clinically safe. I think that is the underlying issue.
Gordon CopelandIs the Minister aware that a growing shortage of general practitioners in the Hutt Valley means that people are now phoning around half a dozen or more and are still unable to get an appointment, and that some retiring general practitioners have closed down because there were no buyers for their practices; if the Minister is aware of that, can he tell us what plans Capital and Coast District Health Board or the ministry have to improve this most unsatisfactory situation?
Judy TurnerDoes the Minister consider that this district health board is experiencing greater staff retention and recruitment problems than other district health boards; if so, how does he account for this difficulty?
Certainly Capital and Coast District Health Board has had its fair share of difficulties, not only with paediatric oncology but with, for example, anaesthetists. On the other hand, it is well staffed in many other areas and leads the country in the provision of some of its services.
Does the Government realise the domino effect that this will have on the viability of other paediatric services of Wellington, and what confidence can anyone have that the people who have the track record of neglecting this issue over the last 8 years, despite report after report, can actually fix the crisis that the families of Wellington are facing with paediatric cancer services?
As a citizen of Dunedin I well remember when paediatric oncology was shifted from Dunedin to Christchurch, and it was not a happy time. [ Interruption] I am just replying to the member’s question. It did not, however, affect other paediatric services, which are in very good shape in Dunedin. I just remind the member that Capital and Coast District Health Board, even today, put out a statement, which I will quote from: “The board remains determined to pursue a return to offering a full tertiary paediatric oncology service.”
The member keeps chipping that this has been going on for 8 years. I just say to the member that except for the past few months, there have been paediatric oncology services at the tertiary level at Capital and Coast District Health Board.
Katrina ShanksWhat advice will the Minister give to Wellington parents when their children are diagnosed with cancer and they are forced to get treatment hundreds of kilometres away, for several months at a time, and does he think that this is an acceptable situation for the capital city of New Zealand?
I just repeat afresh, if I may, that we have three paediatric oncology tertiary services in this country, and right now the Wellington one is offering only secondary services. The intention of the district health board is to return to where it has been in the provision of tertiary services, almost certainly in partnership with the Canterbury service, because the number of children with cancer is sufficiently small, thank goodness, that there is a need for the services to be joined up in order to maintain clinical safety. That is the advice I am getting, time and again, and I am sure the steering group that is meeting today will reaffirm that.
What assurance can the Minister give to the people of the Wellington region that this Government is actually going to do something about this crisis, when they have been ignored and neglected in report after report from the very first month the Government has been in office?
The member refers to report after report about, somehow, the absence of paediatric oncology at the tertiary level at Capital and Coast District Health Board. That service has been in place for all of the last 8 years, except for the past few months. That is the situation. The member, Mr Ryall, keeps shaking his head, and the other member, Ms Shanks, keeps shaking her head. They need to ring Capital and Coast District Health Board and ask whether it had a paediatric oncology service at the tertiary level, and the answer will be yes; and whether it is intent on returning to a paediatric oncology service at the tertiary level, and the answer will be yes.
What confidence can he offer the parents of the Wellington region, when he talks about relying on the very people who for 8 years have ignored repeated warnings about the viability of child cancer services in the Wellington region; for 8 years they have had reports and concerns, and nothing has happened, and this Minister is happy just to rely on their assurance yet again?
Let me put it a little more directly. There are two ways to ensure viability of a tertiary-level service where one needs a throughput of patients to keep a paediatric oncologist in practice: one is more cancer, and the other is to join up with a second service, for example in Christchurch. It is the second of those two options that is under active exploration.
I seek leave to table two documents regarding the warnings in respect of services at child cancer services in Wellington—
Madam SPEAKER