4. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Is he satisfied with progress in achieving his health policy?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, because overall we are making progress. However, we inherited significant problems, such as a serious workforce crisis, a decline in real access to elective surgery, many patients travelling to Australia for cancer treatment, and a health sector on track to financial crisis.
When, if ever, will he step in to save the Ōtaihape health services, where the midwife is losing her job and the rest home residents have been told to pack up and move out, despite the staff taking a massive pay cut in August of this year; when will he help the 40 staff, the 27 older people in the hospital, the 130 women who use the midwifery services annually, and the 3,500 people registered with the primary health service?
I have been in regular contact with the chair of the Whanganui District Health Board, Kate Joblin, and she chaired a meeting of residents in Taihape last night. The district health board is working to ensure the continuation of those health services in Taihape other than aged residential care. This includes primary health, maternity services, community nursing, and allied health services. This is expected to be determined within the next week. There are no questions over home-based support and palliative care services, which are not provided in Taihape through the Ōtaihape Health Trust.
When, if ever, will he step in to ensure that doctors’ visits remain affordable, given that we have just seen an increase of $7.50 per visit for an under-17-year-old going to their general practitioner in the Mana electorate, especially after he said in July that a $1 increase was justifiable?
Practices that do put up their fees are required to notify the district health board and their primary health organisation. Neither the Capital and Coast District Health Board nor Compass Health have been advised of any increase of the magnitude of that claimed opposite. Eleven practices in the Mana electorate have increased their fees since April. Ten of those have increased their fees for the 6 to 17 age group; eight of those 10 have increased fees by $1 or less; one has increased them by $1.50.
When, if ever, will he acknowledge the true situation in health, with chief executives and district health board chairs leaving, saying they will not cut front-line services further; parents who cannot afford to take their children to the doctor because of the $7.50 increase; and the thousands of people in Taihape who are threatened with not just a cut but the complete closure of their residential hospital, midwifery, and primary health services?
The fact is that some of the claims made by the member are unable to be supported by evidence. What can be supported is the fact that 20,000 New Zealanders are now getting elective surgery that they never got under the Labour Government; 99 percent of New Zealanders are getting their cancer treatment within 6 weeks; and more and more New Zealanders are getting speedy treatment in our nation’s emergency departments.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What progress has the Government made in improving services in Kenepuru Hospital in Mana?
What a timely question. In the last 2 years, under the National-led Government, the number of surgical procedures carried out at Kenepuru Hospital has increased by 57 percent, and the number of outpatient consultations carried out has increased by 30 percent. On top of these unprecedented increases in services, in the past 2 years at Kenepuru the new Government has introduced new services, including neurology clinics, general surgery and breast clinics, newborn hearing screening clinics, a four-bed observation unit in the surgical ward, anaesthetic pre-assessment clinics, pain management clinics, a psychiatric liaison service, and haematology and chemotherapy outreach services.
When, if ever, will he support people in Manawatū with diabetes, and their families, who are this week, in Diabetes Awareness Week, describing the cuts to their diabetes support as reprehensible and incredibly short-sighted; and what is he going to do about it?
I have spoken to the MidCentral District Health Board about that change. This is as a result of a contract coming to its natural conclusion. The services provided under that contract will now be provided under primary care, which is being funded accordingly. The MidCentral District Health Board has had a $13 million increase in funding this year under the National-led Government.