9. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Has sufficient funding been allocated in Vote Health to meet the increasing costs facing organisations working in the health sector?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
There are 40,000-plus contracts funded by the Ministry of Health and the district health boards. These include telecommunications, building, medical supplies, and health services. Each faces different cost pressures. However, I do know that Vote Health has once again been the recipient of the biggest amount of new money from the Budget. That money is flowing through the Ministry of Health and the district health boards to other providers that they contract with.
Given previous answers by the Minister last week, can he confirm that the funding allocated in Budget 2011 to the district health boards does not meet inflation costs in the health sector?
It is too early to give a definitive answer to that question, because the district health boards will receive additional funding through the year related to various projects and contracts.
Has he read the article in the Bay of Plenty Times under the headline “Health services on the brink”, which shows that agencies such as Arthritis New Zealand are unable to provide services in his own community?
Yes, I did read those articles in the Bay of Plenty Times. If the member really wanted to give the full story, he would draw attention to the fact that the Bay of Plenty District Health Board does not support the service he was quoting from.
Is he aware that the cost pressure funding provided in the Budget is insufficient, such that mental health and addiction providers in the Northland, Auckland, and Waitematā district health boards have been told that they will get no funding at all to meet greatly increased service costs?
Cost pressures vary across providers. The district health boards and the ministry are doing their level best in order to support services in these very difficult economic times. What we do know is that $585 million was made available in this year’s Budget.
What is his response to the Access Homehealth chief executive, Graham Titcombe, who said that its funding is not enough to meet inflation, and that carers were leaving their jobs, because they could not afford petrol costs?
My response is that many providers in the health sector, under both Governments, have said they never get enough money.
I seek leave of the House to table a letter signed by the chief executives of the Northland, Waitematā, Auckland, and Counties Manukau district health boards, dated 10 June, which says that cost pressure funding is insufficient to be able to provide any increase in funding for the mental health and addiction non-governmental organisations.
Mr SPEAKER