11. Health Services—Capacity Issues in Waikato and Auckland and FundingDr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Capacity Issues in Waikato and Auckland and Funding11. Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of Health: Has he received reports that Waikato Hospital is advising against sick people visiting their hospital; and is advising people not to attend hospital now an acceptable strategy under his Government for reducing the gap between service demand and service delivery in the health system?Hon NICKY WAGNER (Acting Minister of Health): No but I have seen reports of non-urgent people being asked to check with their GPs first. It is a well-established fact that hospitals across the world can reach capacity with seasonal influxes from time to time. The Waikato Hospital has a plan to deal with such incidents of seasonal pressure and tells me that it is already largely back to normal. Managing seasonal demand is not new. In fact I have a quote from Dr Mills from the Waikato Hospital saying: From our perspective this is just an ordinary winter." That was dated 20 July 2006—under the Labour Government.Dr David Clark: What action will he take in response to reports that yesterday GPs were being asked not to refer patients to Waikato Hospital until the current crisis is over?Hon NICKY WAGNER: As I have already reported the district health board (DHB) says that it is back to normal already. But there is a well-established practice for how you should access your emergency departments. They are called "emergency departments" for a reason. The first thing to do if you are sick is to maybe talk to a pharmacy or talk to a telehealth; the second thing is to go to your GP or after-hours services. If you are too sick for that you can go to the district health board and the emergency department will look after you just as it has done forever.Dr David Clark: What does he intend to do about the fact that all three Auckland DHBs are now under pressure and have all reported an increase in full-bed days over recent years?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I know the member is new to health but he should understand that there has always been seasonal pressures on DHBs and that they have a plan to deal with them and are doing that effectively and well.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have a point of order from Chris Hipkins.Chris Hipkins: The Minister began her answer with an insult which meant that many other members would not have heard the substantive answer which in fact did not address the question that was asked.Mr SPEAKER: No I listened very carefully to the answer—it was not easy. The reason it was not easy is the clamour of interjection coming from my left. I do accept the original start of the answer was not that helpful to the order of the House but I do point out that throughout the answers that have been given by the Minister the member that is asking the questions has not stopped to listen to the answers because he has been interjecting too hard himself. Further supplementary questions? [Interruption] Order! I do not need assistance from the front bench to my right.Dr David Clark: So does he now think it is acceptable for this 79-year-old cancer patient whose picture I hold to wait at an Auckland hospital just yesterday until nearly 6 hours after his accident for his wound to be cleaned and made to wait 10 hours for food before an assessment for surgery could be made?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I am afraid I cannot give you the full details of this case but I have been assured that the clinical care was appropriate and that the gentleman was looked after well.Dr David Clark: How much more does he expect to announce in the health budget beyond the additional $1 billion needed for district health boards (DHBs) to fund the aged care settlement and to maintain existing service levels for a growing population and when will he begin to pay back the $1.7 billion beyond that that he stripped out of the sector over the previous 6 years?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I am sorry I did not hear the beginning of that question but what I can tell you is that every year since National has been in Government we have increased Vote Health. Right now the official advice tells me that the spend per person has gone up from $2000 per person to $2500. That is not a funding cut; it is an about 21 percent increase since we have been in Government—ahead of inflation which is 15 percent. So the Government has increased Vote Health by over $4 billion and official advice again tells us that the DHBs have been funded not only for increases but for their population and inflation. I would just like to make one point—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No the question has been answered. We do not need it to be any longer.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Dr David Clark: I seek your guidance. Earlier you stopped me from tabling a document that would have corrected the things that the Minister said in terms of—Mr SPEAKER: Order! No I did not stop you—[Interruption] Order! I do not stop you tabling anything. What is the point?Dr David Clark: The Minister is repeating those facts which are clearly not true by basis of—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member is now getting into a matter of debate but if he feels there has been a deliberate case of misrepresentation then what he needs to do is haul out his Standing Orders and read Standing Order 359 and then he will know the course of action. It is not a matter of raising it as a point of order in this House."