7. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he still stand by his policy to deliver better, sooner, and more convenient health care?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, that is our plan, despite inheriting a public health system that has serious workforce shortages, that has many services under severe pressure, and that is on a track to a financial crisis.
What is better or more convenient for health professionals, who have now been told there is no money for even a cost of living increase in their salary and wages, as a direct result of the health portion of last week’s Budget?
There is no doubt that the Government has put a lot more money into the health service, which we are determined will provide more services for New Zealanders. But I think that all of us in the health service recognise that the country is under significant financial pressure, and everybody will be asked to carry part of that.
Has the Minister seen the comment from Ian Powell of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists that “It is financial wastage to train doctors for the benefit of Australia and elsewhere.”, rather than for New Zealand’s public health system; or is his plan to support better, sooner, more convenient public health services overseas?
Yes, I have seen those reports. I would reply that it was greater wastage that we had a Government that spent millions and millions of dollars on 54 workforce reports in the space of 9 years, and the workforce crisis got worse.
Dr Jackie BlueWhat statements has the Minister seen in relation to the Budget announcements that advance a better, sooner, more convenient health service?
I have seen a copy of an initial press statement issued by the Hon Ruth Dyson on Budget night, which claimed that public health and primary health care would be cut by about $59 million. I have also seen a copy of her final statement, and those claims had vanished because they were utterly wrong. The reality is that the Government has increased public health service purchasing by tens of millions of dollars.
When he agreed to district health boards raising the threshold for entry to rest home care and cutting home support services, what part of “better, sooner, and more convenient” did he think those actions would be for older New Zealanders?
That member can make whatever allegations she wants about various matters, but the fact is she cannot substantiate them. New Zealanders realise that the economic situation is very tight, and that many New Zealanders will have to look at their demands in terms of how we can improve the New Zealand public health service.
Hon Sir Roger Douglas Link to this
Why is the Minister continuing the previous Labour Government’s socialist policy of large increases in real health expenditure, when, under that Labour Government, such a policy resulted in huge drops in productivity and little or no increase in outputs; and what is he doing differently to achieve a different result?
I certainly agree with the member’s summation of the lack of performance under the previous Government. But this Government is determined to work with our front-line health professionals to improve the services that New Zealanders receive, and to work towards better, sooner, more convenient health care for more New Zealanders.
Hon Sir Roger Douglas Link to this
Does the Minister believe in competition for goods and services; if so, why is he not introducing more competition into the health sector?
There is no doubt that there is an opportunity to secure better outcomes for New Zealand patients, particularly in the area of the supplementary work that private hospitals can provide for the public health service. But we want to make sure that we enhance capacity within the public hospital service, in addition to what is happening privately, and that is why this Government is committed to its plan to build dedicated elective surgery capacity in New Zealand—and the Opposition hates it.