6. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he stand by his statement “But when you are Minister of Health, part of making sure you know what is going on is making sure you are out there seeing things from a patient’s perspective”?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, as Minister of Health I regularly visit rest homes, hospitals, general practitioners’ clinics, and I speak with the public and patients.
Mr SPEAKERI apologise to the Minister. On this occasion I would ask the Opposition, though they may be dazzled, to please keep the noise down so that I can hear what I am sure is an important answer to the Hon Ruth Dyson’s question.
Yes, as Minister of Health I regularly visit rest homes, hospitals, general practitioners’ clinics, and speak with the public and patients.
Why did he not consider the perspective of 94-year-old St Kilda pensioner John Currie, who says nervous exhaustion through worry about the cuts to his home help have put him in Dunedin Hospital?
I am aware of that case. I would say that the district health board has assured me that no one will be unsafe or forced out of his or her home because of the changes made to home support. I understand that the district health board has been in touch with Mr Currie, and other facts were revealed in the article today.
Which mental health patients did he seek out for their perspectives on the $5 million cut to community-based mental health services in Wellington this year?
I think the people whom I have spoken to who are involved in mental health are very impressed that $174 million extra will be put into mental health services over the next 4 years.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What reports has he had in relation to the patients’ perspective on improved ambulance services?
I can inform the House that as part of the Government’s $48 million extra investment over 4 years to support the national ambulance service, there are now an extra 100 paramedics on the health front line. This means more communities have 7-day-a-week, 24-hour reliance on volunteer staffers for cover reduced, and the average number of ambulances available both during the day and at night has increased. We now have extra paramedics in more than 40 centres throughout the nation—from Dargaville in the north, to Gore in the south—supporting better and safer front-line services for New Zealand patients.
What children and young people did he seek for their perspective on the fact that South Canterbury District Health Board is cutting its child and youth oral health services by $1.2 million this year—cuts signed off by the Minister?
What is quite clear in the South Canterbury area is that they have had additional funding of $11 million in the last 18 months, and the district health board is improving front-line services for people in that area quite strongly.
If he is concerned about seeing things from the patients’ perspective will he use his ministerial powers on behalf of Otago and Southland patients to keep their neurosurgical services?
As the member well knows, all of the South Island district health boards are aware that they have to fix the situation at Otago-Southland. In the last term of the previous Government three neurosurgeons left the hospital. We know that a patient recently explained that she had had three locum neurosurgeons in 4 months. The district health boards cannot agree on the service network across the South Island. They have asked the director-general to arbitrate. An independent panel is looking at this case. I have to say that, like the people of Otago-Southland, I have to be convinced that they do not deserve good-quality neurosurgical services.