King Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 24 September 2015. Volume:709;Page:7057. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister of Health: What responsibility if any does he take for a lack of access to health services for New Zealanders?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): The member’s question is very broad. When she asks about access to services is she referring to the increase of 50000 operations a year the increase of 110000 specialist appointments a year or maybe the fact that we have improved cancer treatment such that no patients are flying to Australia—in contrast to her 761 patients—or maybe it is about the extra 400000-plus children getting free doctors visits and prescriptions? What I know that I am not responsible for is the cut of 1000 surgeries at Capital and Coast District Health Board between 2000 and 2005 on the member’s watch.Hon Annette King: When he takes responsibility for children receiving free doctors visits does he also take responsibility for the 93 children who were waiting in Northland in June up from 48 in January for surgery for rotting and abscessed teeth?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: As the member knows that is not my delegation. But what I can say—[Interruption] You know that that it is not my delegation. You have actually addressed that question to the wrong Minister. What I can say is that in all dimensions across health we have increased services for New Zealanders. If you look at the global picture more New Zealanders are getting more services all the time. This is a big change from her failed reign as health Minister.Simon O’Connor: What recent reports has he received in relation to individual cases raised in question time?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Last Thursday in question time Mrs King raised the case of a woman called Catherine from Whangarei who she claimed had had her home support cut. I went and followed up on that case and asked for a report from Northland District Health Board. It turns out that actually the district health board did not cut the support for this person. In fact the individual had requested the support to stop. The district health board then followed up on this request with the patient who has since agreed to 5½ hours a fortnight of home management and support. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The House will settle. I have heard most of the answer until now. I want to hear a bit more.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: This is yet another example of this member getting her facts wrong just as she did when claiming 22 of 26 GP clinics were not giving free under-13 doctors visits. It is no wonder I question the cases that she brings before the House because when we check up they seem to be wrong. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! A point of order has been raised. [Interruption] Order! Can I just advise the Minister that I am calling for him to present a point of order. There is no need to have a conversation.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I seek leave to table a report from Northland District Health Board detailing what really happened with Catherine from Whangarei.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular report. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: When he takes—[Interruption] What is that Gerry?Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! Right only one warning to Mr Brownlee today so consider that he has had it. We will now continue with supplementary questions.Hon Annette King: When he takes responsibility for more operations does he also take responsibility for the anger and the frustration of the specialist who wrote to the GP last week saying: “Although your patient had a significant invasive tumour removed without a significant increase in resourcing we cannot provide reconstructive plastic surgery to him or many other patients.”?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Once again it is hard to comment. There is no name no detail and no district health board. In terms of anger and frustration the only person I know in that category is the person who is coming second to “don’t know don’t care” in the Labour deputy—Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is no ministerial responsibility there. [Interruption] Order! I might have to issue another warning very shortly.Hon Annette King: When he takes responsibility for more doctors and nurses does he also take responsibility for the looming oral health workforce crisis reported 3 weeks ago stating a bleak outlook for kids’ dental treatment over the next 5 to 10 years because of the ageing workforce with the Canterbury area alone having 77 percent of its workforce over 50?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I know that member was a dental nurse but I also expect her to know who has got the delegation for oral health. What I can say is that there is work going on around the medical workforce right across all aspects of the portfolio. We look at this strategically. As I said before we are doing more and more for more New Zealanders all the time and actually oral health will be part of that.Hon Annette King: When he takes responsibility for funding Herceptin does he also take responsibility for failing to increase Pharmac’s budget sufficiently this year to allow other cancer patients to access modern biologic drugs to help prolong their lives?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: We have talked about this in the House before but in actual fact an extra 70000 New Zealanders gained the benefits of new medicines and new designations in the last year. There were more medicines introduced and actually unlike that member we are able to make better use of the money available to provide more services more drugs and better care for all New Zealanders.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table a pay-walled article from the New Zealand Medical Journal dated 15 June 2007 showing that Herceptin was funded in New Zealand from July 2007—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has now been more than adequately described. I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular article. Is there any objection? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: When he takes responsibility for faster cancer services does he also take responsibility for the 1999 cancer report to the incoming Government that stated that cancer treatment barely met demand that there were chronic staff shortages that services were under resourced and that patients faced delays which led to patients being sent to Australia?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Well I know that Annette King was around in 1999. In fact she was aroundin 1981 I think it was. But look this is going back a long way. I mean how on earth could I be held responsible for a 1999 report? This is going back 17 years—it is ancient history just like the member—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That part will not help the order of the House. [Interruption] Order! This is a point of order.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table the Working Party report New Zealand radiation oncology treatment services 1999-2004 withheld by the Minister who said he did not have it.Mr SPEAKER: On the basis that this is a report from quite a long time ago I will put the leave. It may be of interest—[Interruption] Order! It may be of interest to members. Leave is sought to table that particular report dated 1999. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act request dated 1 September from the Northland District Health Board showing that 93 children are waiting for extractions.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular Official Information Act request—[Interruption] Order! I am putting the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular report. Is there any objection? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act response to the office of the Leader of the Opposition detailing the cuts to appointments and operations under Labour from the period of 1999 through to 2008.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular Official Information Act report. Is there any objection? There is—[Interruption] Order! When I am putting the leave I do not expect the conversation to carry on. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.