Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3693] 
8.  
STEVE CHADWICK (NZ Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Health 
: What steps has she taken to improve co-ordination of health services for older people? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 Last week I announced that $700 million of funding for disability support services for older people will be transferred from the Ministry of Health to district health boards from 1 October this year. This transfer will enable the district health boards to provide better-integrated services that respond to the individual’s changing needs which is in line with the key objective of the Health of Older People Strategy. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What will be the effect on older people of better-integrating their health and disability support services? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The move will address the fragmentation of services that was so deeply imbedded in the policies of the 1990s. It will enable the district health boards to integrate fully with primary care and disability support services in the community to reduce preventable admissions to hospital. It will provide significant opportunities for older people to receive coordinated support and health promotion services so that they can continue to live and participate in their communities as they grow older. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Can she explain why if things have improved so much the Wellington City Mission and 8000 others submitted a petition to this House on aged care the Government has reduced the amount it spends on rest home care by $8.6 million and geriatric hospitals have still not received a single dollar increase under this Government? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Although the supplementary question is not related to the specific primary question I am happy to explain to the member that in fact in contradiction to the assertion made in her supplementary question in the year before last for the first time for many years additional funding was given to providers of residential care for older people and it went directly into price increases rather than volume growth. 
Barbara Stewart 
: How will she ensure that the district health boards take a consistent national approach to improve health service coordination for older people when this has not been possible in the past? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I understand the concerns of the member and can assure her and the rest of the House that this was at the forefront of the considerations of my colleagues as we moved to this process. There are two primary methods: firstly the district health boards will be required to demonstrate their ability to deliver a coordinated package of health services prior to the devolution of funding; and secondly the nationally consistent contracts which are already in existence will remain. 
Sue Kedgley 
: If the Government is concerned about health services for older people as we have just been told why has the level of funding for geriatric hospital care not increased since 1997 despite rising costs in the sector such as inflation and the cost of staff electricity food etc.? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The increase in funding for residential care of older people over the last 18 months has been targeted at that part of the sector that has been the most underfunded. Although the hospitals are anticipating increases in their prices that certainly has not been delivered so far. But I am delighted that by the middle of this year there will be increases in funding. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table the answer to question for written answer No. 13488 which shows that the cost to the Government of providing rest home care reduced by $8.6 million between 1999 and 2001. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that question. Is there any objection? There is objection.