8. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Has he been informed that “Auckland's public hospitals are so full they could struggle to deal with a major emergency.”, and what action will the Government be taking, if any?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, I have, and I want to acknowledge all of the hard-working and dedicated staff behind the headline. A number of hospitals are reporting an increase in acute activity. This is why all district health boards have winter plans developed and in place. It is also why the Government is focusing on a number of initiatives at primary-care level to reduce patient inflows.
Is the Minister aware that Wellington Hospital has announced just now that it is full and has 17 patients on temporary trolleys in its emergency department because there is nowhere for them to go, and that elective surgery is being cancelled; and how will this hospital cope when the winter flu season actually strikes?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Yes, I am. I am also aware that Wellington Hospital also has an emergency management plan in place.
Louisa WallKia ora, Madam Speaker; tēnā koutou katoa. Does the Government have contingency plans for major emergencies in areas such as Auckland?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Yes. All district health boards have emergency management plans in place, which are linked into a national health emergency plan led by the Ministry of Health. In May last year the ministry ran a very successful cross-Government pandemic planning exercise. New Zealand is considered to be a world leader in this area.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
Does the Minister not realise that there has been an emergency in the public wards of Auckland hospitals for the last decade, in that in some of those wards every patient has a hitherto Third World disease, having themselves come from the Third World; and who on earth is responsible for that?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I recall that flows of inbound migrants have been relatively consistent across Governments. It is also true that the current Government has clarified for all district health boards that only New Zealand permanent residents, citizens, and temporary residents on work permits for periods greater than 2 years qualify for subsidised health care.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
Is the Minister aware that, for example, in Auckland there are whole wards full of patients with tuberculosis, a condition we had thought we were on top of in this country; that those patients in the main got here without any medical check at all and were released early so that they could be “with their people”; that this all happened under the National Government; and that when this was raised with it, it accused the questioners—namely me and my party—of being racist and xenophobic; who is responsible for that?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Ultimately the public of New Zealand, for electing that party at that time. Let us hope they have learnt from that experience.
Heather RoyHas the Minister been informed that the bed shortage at Wellington Hospital is so severe that patients have been transferred to local private hospitals following their surgery; and where else are patients being transferred from public to private hospitals?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
This Government takes a pragmatic view of the complementary provision of private health-care services, particularly for elective procedures, where it is important that there is a predictable flow of patients. I understand that is also the policy of the member’s party.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. It is very pleasing to hear that the Labour Government has suddenly become very pragmatic, but the Minister failed to answer my question, which asked whether he had been informed that patients were being transferred post-surgery from public to private hospitals, and where else that was happening.
Madam SPEAKER
Barbara StewartIs the Minister aware that in August 2007 his ministry’s principal medical adviser said that there was a steadily increasing demand on acute services, and that health services had not changed sufficiently to cope with that; if so, why is it that 10 months later, and with the flu season imminent, nothing seems to have changed in Auckland?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I am advised that a considerable amount has changed in Auckland and, in particular, in the Waitemata District Health Board, where some 70 new beds have come on stream, or will come on stream before August 2008.
Is the Minister aware that the Prime Minister, when in Opposition, said: “We know that winter brings an increase in health problems; it happens every year. But our hospitals must be ready to cope with the problems. It just isn’t good enough to have basic services break down.”, and that she then said that money was the answer; if so, can he explain why, after 9 years of Labour and after doubling the health budget, Labour has not fixed any of these problems?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
Under this Government the health budget has more than doubled in nominal terms. There are more than 4,000 new nurses and more than 2,000 new doctors, and we have completed the largest capital building programme in New Zealand’s health sector history.
Is he aware that Helen Clark in Opposition said to Grey Power: “Just over the last week we’ve seen how badly equipped our hospitals are to deal with the basic needs of care. When the winter crop of influenza, bad asthma, and other problems hit last week, our hospitals in many centres just couldn’t cope. Patients were left in armchairs, corridors, operating theatres, and conference rooms because there just weren’t enough beds.”, and after 9 years and $6 billion extra why does an old person who gets sick in Wellington today have to languish on an emergency department trolley?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It is good to see the member taking such a close interest in the Prime Minister’s every word. The Government has implemented a number of programmes to assist with patient flows during the winter months, including, recently, a nationwide emergency department workshop and initiatives to improve quality and efficiency, and I have emphasised to the sector the importance of regional and national collaboration in strengthening health services.
Is the Minister proud that an OECD report on New Zealand’s health workforce says that when it comes to retaining our own doctors in New Zealand, this country is the worst in the OECD?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member may also be aware that New Zealand has the highest general diaspora per capita in the OECD, other than Ireland. New Zealanders have always done OEs. Three-quarters come back. There is no change there.
Has the Minister yet got the message from Helen Clark, whom he is busy challenging Phil Goff to succeed, that it is now time for him, instead of worrying about Mr Goff’s progress, to worry about the health system in New Zealand, where thousands of people cannot get the care they need because this Government dumps them off hospital waiting lists?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
How nice to have the member back to asking questions. I have been missing him for the last 2 weeks. I suggest that he focus on the issues, rather than on idle surmise about the inner workings of the Government.