8. Health Services—Mental Health Services and National Bowel Screening ProgrammeHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Mental Health Services and National Bowel Screening Programme8. Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) to the Minister of Health: What measureable outcomes if any will his policies deliver?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): Improved health for New Zealanders.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: What did he mean when he said that his promised $8 billion for health had been pretty much spent"; and how then is he planning to deliver on his Government's additional new-funding promises including extra pharmaceutical spending more affordable dental care and the Prime Minister's promise of more funding for palliative care?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I meant exactly what I said.Matt Doocey: How will the Government's mental health inquiry actually improve the mental health of individual New Zealanders and their families?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I thank the member for that question. I invite him and others to participate in the inquiry; it looks to get to the bottom of that very question.Matt Doocey: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked the Minister "How will the Government's mental health inquiry actually improve the mental health outcomes of New Zealanders?"Mr SPEAKER: And I think it was—yeah have another go Dr Clark.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The inquiry will report back with suggestions for improving our mental health response and will look at a wide range of concerns and I invite the member and others and members of the public to submit to it.Matt Doocey: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I specifically asked how it will improve mental health not how it will report back.Mr SPEAKER: No I think the second answer was certainly adequate.Matt Doocey: Why does he not agree with the country's expert independent Mental Health Commissioner Kevin Allan that there is no need for a mental health inquiry?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: We have campaigned on having a mental health inquiry. All parties in the Government sought to have a mental health inquiry because it is the view of many New Zealanders that our system is not responding adequately. After nine years of that Government the number of people seeking mental health support had risen significantly and the responses had not changed and there are many statistics that unfortunately reflect badly on our country. We must do better and we think this is one way of getting to the bottom of that problem.Angie Warren-Clark: Which district health boards (DHBs) if any has the Minister visited since he because Minister of Health to discuss the Government's agenda in health?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I'm committed to visiting as many DHBs as I can ahead of Christmas and I am delighted to advise the member that I have already visited seven DHBs. To date I have visited Canterbury Hutt Valley Southern Wairarapa MidCentral Whanganui and Auckland in my capacity as the Minister of Health. I value relationships with the health sector.Mr SPEAKER: Yeah and I am going to warn the Minister that he's going to have to stick a bit more closely in his answers to things that are relevant to the original question. While the Minister might enjoy visiting DHBs I think he'd be hard pushed to say that that helps the healthcare at those DHBs.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: What exactly is the impediment to delivery of the national bowel-screening programme that he was referring to when he told the House on Thursday 16 November that "… the programme as laid out by the previous Government is unlikely to be able to be delivered."?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I have had concerns raised with me by clinicians and I am seeking further advice before I make any more announcements on this programme.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: How will he deliver gains in health when he's not setting outcome goals when he's ignoring expert advice and when he promises more than his budget will allow?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I refute the premise of that member's question."