5. Health Services—Elective SurgeryIAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Elective Surgery5. IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei) to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that 30 percent more hip and knee joint replacement operations were carried out in 2015-16 compared with the 8439 in 2007-08 an increase of 2573 operations?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes I can. This 30 percent increase is the result of the hard work of clinical staff and the extra $200 million the Government has invested into elective surgery over this period. It is a very significant increase in access to these important operations which reduce pain and enable New Zealanders to better get on with their lives. With the growth and ageing of the population we need to continue to do more and that is why the Government has put in an extra $96 million over 4 years to ensure that more New Zealanders get the surgery that they need. Ian McKelvie: Given the forecast ageing and growth of the New Zealand population what is the Government doing to specifically address this growing need?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Firstly we are delivering more access to specialist assessments in the area of orthopaedics where the number of first specialist appointments has gone up from 43251 per year to 53627. That is an increase of over 10000 under this Government. These are some of the 550000 patients seen by specialists now each year which is one in 10 New Zealanders every year. We are also focused on intervening at an earlier stage to prevent the need for surgery in the first place and that is why we have developed mobility action teams made up of GPs dietitians and physiotherapists. We are rolling them out across the country to assist New Zealanders with self-management education exercise and pain management. These teams are part of the wider Government response to the increased demand for surgery. Hon Annette King: Is he dismissing research published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in September that showed that the rate of hip and knee surgeries per 100000 population was lower in 2013 than in 2007 and is this not a truer measure of what is happening in New Zealand?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: No it is not a truer measure of the overall picture. As I said the number of operations has gone up overall and more New Zealanders are getting more timely access to these procedures all the time.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table the New Zealand Medical Journal research headed Equity of publicly-funded hip and knee joints"—it is not easy to obtain. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table that particular research document from the medical journal. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: Can he confirm that the total number of additional elective orthopaedic operations across all district health boards between 2014-15 and 2015-16 was only 284; and does this keep up with population growth let alone with the level of pain and disability that people face?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: As usual I would have to go away and check the member's figures closely. All I do know is that it is nothing like the 2000 drop in operations that occurred during her period as health Minister.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table an Official Information Act (OIA) response from the Ministry of Health dated 8 September showing elective surgery discharges—as I said—284.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. It is an OIA response—Hon Annette King: And point of order Mr Speaker.Mr SPEAKER: Well I need to put the—and you are seeking leave to table something else as well?Hon Annette King: Oh sorry yes. I will wait to table it.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear the other one and I will put leave for them both together. What is the other document?Hon Annette King: I wish to table the 2008-09 publicly funded hip and knee replacements funded by Labour but counted by National in its operations.Mr SPEAKER: And what is the source of the second document?Hon Annette King: It is from the Ministry of Health's documents—OIA.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table an OIA response and Ministry of Health data information. Is there any objection to either of those two documents being tabled? There is none. They can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House."