5. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he stand by all his statements on after-hours medical treatment?
Hon PETER DUNNE (Associate Minister of Health) Link to this
Yes, he does stand by his many statements on after-hours medical treatment, including his concern about the cost of some after-hours services, despite the fact that the Government has put an extra $144 million into primary care over 4 years. There has always been a wide variation in after-hours fee charges—for example, the Ministry of Health reported several years ago that many adults around the country were paying over $86 for an after-hours visit. Indeed, there were instances of some people in the Queenstown area paying up to $200.
Does he still stand by his statement made in February that “in Auckland within the next 6 months we will have a network of 10 after-hours clinics providing lower-cost access to health services …”?
Work is under way to develop those clinics. It is proving to be a complicated task because it is a very involved task. But I can assure the member that it will be in place later this year.
What guarantee can he give Aucklanders that there will be more affordable and accessible after-hours care, when the Waitematā District Health Board has expressed concern that the “total funding available will not cover a comprehensive range of services …”?
There are three things I could say in response to that. Firstly, there is $144 million more in primary care, $14 million of which will be going to after-hours care over the next 4 years. Secondly, the 10 clinics that the member referred to in his question will be in place later this year. Thirdly, the report from the Auditor-General’s investigation noted that all contractual responsibilities of district health boards were being met in this area.
I answered earlier to the member that work on the development of these clinics is proceeding. The timetable has shifted a little bit, but they will still be operational this year.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I have taken your advice about asking extremely direct questions, and that was one. It was very simple—it asked whether any contracts have been signed for services from 1 July this year—and the Minister did not address that.
Mr SPEAKERI think that was a very straight question. The Minister may not have the information, but I would invite him to answer it. It was a very direct question.
Hon Clayton CosgroveWhat I said in response to earlier questions was that the clinics would be operational later this year. By definition, that means it will not be 1 July.
I seek leave to table the minutes of the Waitematā District Health Board community and public health advisory committee meeting on 9 March this year, where it expressed its concern that the total funding available will not cover a comprehensive range of services.