7. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he stand by all his statements on health services?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, including the statement that the Labour Government doubled spending in health, and got a lot less for it.
What does he say to the 83-year-old woman who was trapped half in and half out of her bed, with just a cotton hospital gown on—no singlet and no cardigan—who could not get the attention of a nurse, because they were too busy, and who was discovered freezing by her family when they went to visit her in Auckland City Hospital last week?
I would be concerned about that case if that is the full story, but the member is not helping that person by not giving me her name and details, as her colleagues do, so that I can look into it. I can say that the Government has put an additional $60 million into the Auckland District Health Board.
What is his response to the nurses at Waitematā, who are so concerned about their staff numbers being pared back to establishment numbers, despite a 77 percent growth in patient numbers, that they called a crisis meeting with the director of nursing earlier this week?
I say to those nurses that we in the Government inherited a very difficult situation at Waitemata District Health Board. Under the previous Government, people languished under fluorescent light bulbs in the emergency department for up to 35 hours. That no longer happens under the Waitemata District Health Board. I can tell the member that we have put an additional $53 million into the Waitemata District Health Board.
Michael Woodhouse Link to this
What reports has he seen of other improvements to front-line services?
The House might recall that the Government invested an additional $48 million over 4 years in ambulance services, including adding 100 paramedics. I am pleased to advise the House that we are almost halfway through hiring those extra paramedics, which has allowed for more double-crewing for call-outs in some areas, far in excess of what was possible under the previous Government. For example, in Whanganui, from 66 percent to 92 percent of call-outs are now being double-crewed; in Whakatāne, the figure has gone from 19 percent to 54 percent of call-outs; in Hastings, from 63 percent to 88 percent of call-outs; and, in Waiuku, from 27 percent to 77 percent of call-outs. We expect to see further improvements in front-line ambulance services with the second phase of the roll-out of the 100 paramedics.
How does his categorical assurance to this House that all older people in Otago and Southland would be offered reassessments before their home support was cut relate to the situation of an 81-year-old Mosgiel woman who was assessed by phone 2 months ago, had her home help cut from 2½ hours a week to 1½ hours a week, and last week received a letter telling her that her home help had now been cut completely?
I would be concerned about that case if that is the full story, but the member is not helping that person by not giving me her name and details, as her colleagues have done, so that I can look into it. I can say that the Government has put substantial new money into the Otago District Health Board—close to $20 million in the last year.
What explanation will he give to the 83-year-old woman from Paraparaumu who is paralysed on her right side and has been receiving help for heavy cleaning in her house, who received a phone call from a woman from Capital and Coast District Health Board asking how she was coping, only to be told that she would lose all support services forthwith and that this was being done on instructions from the Government?
That would be concerning if that were the full story, but the member is not helping that person by not giving me her name and details, as her colleagues do, so that I can look into it. I can say that the Government has given the Capital and Coast District Health Board an extra $32 million this year, despite inheriting a deficit in unfunded services of over $60 million from that failed party opposite when it was in Government.
I seek leave to table the letter I received from the daughter of the woman I described, who last week found her mother freezing and unable to get into her hospital bed.
Mr SPEAKERI seek leave to table correspondence outlining the situation of the Mosgiel woman who, despite the Minister’s assurance, has had all her home help cut, with no offer—
I seek leave to table a letter from the husband of the 83-year-old woman from Paraparaumu whom I described as having all her home support cut.