3. 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
Despite the facts that the previous Labour Government left the new Government with $160 million of unfunded services to pay for, around $600 million of capital projects with little money set aside for, and also quietly stripped $150 million out of Vote Health before the election, yes.
How is the Minister’s health regime more convenient for 83-year-old Jim Chalmers, who gave over 30 years’ service to his community as a volunteer fireman, and who is now having his 2 hours a week of home help cut, forcing him to clean his shower with his foot? How is that more convenient?
I think the member is referring to changes within the Canterbury District Health Board. I spoke with the chairman of that board, Mr Alister James, and he assured me that no money has been cut from home help by the Canterbury District Health Board. In fact, more money will be spent this year as part of the district health board’s efforts to support more older people to stay independently in their homes for longer. Mr James also assured me that no one will be unsafe or unable to stay in his or her own home as a result of the current review.
Hon Jim AndertonIf maintaining elderly New Zealanders in their own homes instead of rest homes is part of the National Government’s home-care strategy, how does it help for the Canterbury District Health Board to halve from 2 hours to 1 hour the home help for a 90-year-old in my electorate, with the advice given to her to buy a carpet sweeper to clean one room in her home each day if she is not able to use the vacuum cleaner?
As I said, the chairman of the district health board assured me that it will be spending more money this year on home help. The Canterbury District Health Board is reviewing the amount of long-term home care that many of its people get. So far, 800 people have been assessed, of whom 60 are receiving more home help hours as a result of that. On the other hand, as part of the review it has been found that there are cases of people who have been receiving support that they are not entitled to. Mr James told me of one case of a person being paid for home help for looking after elderly parents at home, despite the fact that the last of those two parents had passed away 2 years earlier.
How is the Minister’s health regime more convenient for the 5,019 injured people who have had their accident compensation scheme surgery cut and who are now joining the health-funded surgery waiting list at their local hospital, at the same time as the accident compensation scheme has cut $60 million from the health surgical budget?
I am not responsible for the accident compensation budget, but I can tell the member that it has, I think, funded an additional 7 percent of elective surgery this year.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What recent reports has the Minister received in relation to the delivery of health services to communities in need?
I have received a report today that New Zealand’s health response to the tsunami in Samoa is now moving to the recovery phase. Plans are in place to determine the ongoing support that will be required to strengthen the health system in Samoa as people there gradually return to business as usual. The public health service is continuing to rotate staff up to Samoa, and this will continue for some weeks. Although the demand for acute and emergency surgery has decreased, public health staff report that around 100 to 130 people in Samoa are still being seen each day by health teams working in field clinics. Ongoing wound care and plastic surgery continue to keep hospital staff very busy, and we are very grateful to the many volunteers in the public health service who are helping out there.
How is the Minister’s health regime better for the 25,000 people in Whangarei who will now be denied affordable doctors’ fees because of his changes in the rules for subsidies?
The Government has actually increased the budget for the very low-cost access and under-sixes subsidy by $10.9 million this year, bringing it to a total of $49 million. The very low-cost access component of capitation was increased by 14 percent last month and that was backdated to 1 July. That certainly will improve access for many New Zealanders, in addition to the extra $30 million of general practitioner subsidies that are being funded this year.
I seek leave to table the editorial from the Press yesterday, describing the home help cuts for the elderly as “pain and worry”?
Mr SPEAKERLeave is sought to table an editorial from the Press yesterday. Is there any objection? There is objection.
I seek leave to table an article from the Northern Advocate that confirms a doctor’s view that cheap visits to general practitioners will now end for—