Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:674;Page:20467] 
4. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Will he approve changes to hospital and primary health services that do not enjoy community and clinical support? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Virtually all changes to hospital and primary health services are made at a local level by district health boards primary health organisations and contracted providers within the increased funding of $1.5 billion the Government has made available over the last 3 years. For a small number of significant changes proposed by district health boards ministerial approval may be required and on the few occasions where ministerial approval is required I do take very serious account of clinical and community support. 
Grant Robertson 
: Why is he saying that he will not approve changes to Hawera Hospital that do not enjoy community support when he was happy to approve the closure of Taihape Hospital which the community strongly opposed? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I think the member would appreciate that in those cases they are two quite different situations. Certainly at Taihape there is quite a range of services that are improving in that community as a result of the changes. 
Grant Robertson 
: Given that he does not want to approve changes that do not have community support will he step in to ensure that Rangiora people have access to after-hours general practitioner services in their town which have been cut despite strong community opposition including a petition of 8000 people? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I have been to Rangiora and had an opportunity to speak with local people about those issues. As the member will well know the decision to withdraw from after-hours services was made by the local general practitioners themselves under a system set up by Labour. However I can assure the House that we are well aware of that issue in Canterbury and the district health board is now working with the community to ensure a local solution. We have increased Canterbury District Health Board funding by $143 million over the last 3 years. 
Grant Robertson 
: Will he approve the cutting of nurses from front-line service roles in the emergency department of Wanganui Hospital as proposed by the Whanganui District Health Board and described by the Nurses Organisation as a danger to patients given that he does not want to approve changes that do not have clinical support? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: What I am aware of when it comes to the Whanganui District Health Board is that it has more nurses employed there than when the Government began. It is their responsibility to see how they manage their resources. What we do know in Whanganui is that their funding has increased by about $24 million over the last 3 years and their increase in the number of nurses is part of the extra 500 doctors and 1000 extra nurses now employed in our public health service. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think last week you provided some useful interpretation with regard to one of the responses from the Minister of Education and said that her answer which we could not understand was clearly yes. I wonder whether you could provide a similar interpretation for that response or ask the Minister to indicate whether he would approve such a change. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Forgive me but it seemed to me that the Minister’s answer indicated it was a local matter. But I may be wrong there. If I am wrong I would certainly ask the Minister to correct that misapprehension. The Minister indicates that that is the case. 
Grant Robertson 
: Will he approve the closure of Lakes District Hospital in Queenstown in whole or in part which has been the subject of significant community and clinical opposition given his statement that he does not want to approve changes that do not have community support? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: There certainly has been a lot of uncertainty around the Lakes District Hospital over some years and a special National Health Board panel including clinicians is leading a process of working through with the Queenstown community to accelerate health care improvements in that area. Decisions will be made by the Southern District Health Board and we have increased its funding by $71 million over 3 years.