9. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
What assurances can he give the public that no one will be left unsafe in their own home due to “changes” in health policy?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
I can pass on the assurances given to me by relevant chairs of district health boards that no one will be left unsafe in their homes as a result of any changes to the way boards allocate their home support. In any year about 75,000 people receive home support, 15,000 come on to the scheme, and 15,000 come off, as circumstances change.
Can he guarantee that not one of the thousands of older people in the Wellington region who are about to have their home help cut will be unsafe; if so, how does having a community services card make them more at risk?
The member is referring to an announcement by Capital and Coast District Health Board that it will means test its home cleaning services, and this actually brings the board into line with the rest of the country and returns it to the approach it had before 2005. I can tell the member that we spent more money on home support last year and we are spending more money this year.
Hon Damien O’Connor Link to this
How does the Minister respond to this editorial comment in the Nelson Mail of 15 September with regard to the plight of the 14 residents of the Joan Whiting Rest Home, all of whom are frail and some of whom are in very poor health: “The prospect of uprooting and transplanting them to a foreign environment, because in essence the health bureaucracy can’t get its act together, is scandalous. If ever there was an unjust problem with a straightforward solution simply begging for some sensible leadership, this is it. … We look forward to Mr Ryall filling the vacuum.”; or is the problem that he is the vacuum?
The local member of Parliament, Mr Auchinvole, has come to me with a solution, which is more than that member has ever come to the Government with. That solution, I am sure, will see very positive progress made in that area. The important thing that I would underline is that if members of Parliament come to me with solutions, there can be progress; if a member opposite comes to me with a complaint, there will not be.
Hon Damien O’Connor Link to this
Will he guarantee that residents of the Joan Whiting Rest Home will not be thrown out from their home without any option of care in their community; if not, what does he suggest they do?
The local member of Parliament, Mr Chris Auchinvole, has come to me with a proposal that we are working through very closely, and I am certain it will result in a very positive outcome for the people affected. There has been a lot of talk in that community about a new integrated health centre. We have not had a time line on that, and I know that the Ministry of Health is working closely with the local people on it.