Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16315] 
11.  
DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Health 
: What steps is he taking to support the health of rural New Zealanders? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 Last week I announced a $10.9 million annual funding boost to help rural areas retain general practitioners nurses and other health professionals. This workforce retention funding and reasonable roster of funding will provide extra payments to support primary health care workers stay in rural areas and help those practising in isolated communities to have reasonable on-call rosters. 
Darren Hughes 
: Can the Minister tell the House what other initiatives are continuing in support of rural health outcomes around the country? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Certainly. Last week I announced the second round of Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (Rural) Scholarships. The scholarships are worth approximately $40000 each so that nurses can take a year off to complete the required study. The mobile surgical bus is exceeding all targets. We have more students from rural areas going into medicine thanks to the cap being raised at Auckland University and Otago University. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does he agree that the health of rural as well as urban New Zealanders will be adversely affected if junior doctors continue to be expected to work 72-hour weeks including night shifts of 10 hours for up to 7 consecutive nights and will he therefore be supporting junior doctors in their efforts to ensure that they have safe working conditions? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I saw that article this morning and would like to quote from the  
New Zealand Herald  
and say that every time the doctors’ industrial document is up for renegotiation we hear of these impossible hours that they are expected to work. We accept that it is a big ask of young doctors. However it is part and parcel of the training that they go through to become qualified health professionals and do a very good job for New Zealanders. 
Judy Turner 
: Which rural areas have been identified as having problems as part of the primary health organisation – induced nationwide crisis in after-hours services and can he explain what funding solutions if any are being proposed by his Government to ensure that rural general practitioners will continue to provide after-hours care? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I am aware of some excessive charges for after-hours services in Queenstown for example where some general practitioners have been asking for over $200. That is unacceptable and the district health board and the ministry are working with the primary health organisations to make sure that we do not have excessive charging for after-hours services by primary health organisation - contracted general practitioners. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table Damien O’Connor’s press release on rural health last week so that Darren Hughes—who is not here any more—can read it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: In light of the traditional concerns of the National Party for rural issues I seek leave for there to be one extra supplementary question on this question on the basis that it is allocated to Dr Paul Hutchison who knows about these matters. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows that that is against the Standing Orders.