Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14881] 
3.  
STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What recent innovations in community and primary health care has the Minister been advised of and what impact will these have on the health of New Zealanders? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Some excellent recent developments in community health have arisen out of the new primary health environment which has an emphasis on keeping people well and out of hospital. I will give a few examples. The Auckland District Health Board and ProCare have commenced a project that has reduced the waiting time for heartburn treatment improved patient access and made an estimated saving of $1.5 million. In Gore a community wellness and education programme has been established that has had great success—in particular the review of medications now being undertaken by local pharmacists—and the Hutt Valley Cardiac Continuum of Care programme has provided a greatly improved service with immediate access to diagnostic tools. I have many other examples that I am happy to table. 
Steve Chadwick 
: Are those innovations being recognised publicly and how has the health sector responded to them? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes they have. The first Health Innovation Awards were held in 2003. This year’s awards were held in partnership with Telecom and attracted over 100 entries of exceptional standard reflecting the world-class depth of talent and ability in the New Zealand health sector. 
Judith Collins 
: Does the Minister have any concerns about the reports of unethical behaviour by doctors working in the primary health care area who have succumbed to pressure from patients to help them wrongly transfer from the unemployment benefit to the sickness benefit; and has she done anything at all to investigate those accusations? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have concerns about any unethical behaviour amongst any health professionals. However the responsibility to investigate unethical behaviour is not in the hands of the Minister of Health. This House made it clear that it wanted self-regulation of the medical profession when it passed the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. I am aware through my colleague that the Medical Council has looked at this issue. That is the right organisation to look at it. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Do these recent innovations ensure that children under 6 have access to free health-care  regardless of their locality? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: In a recent survey we noted that most parts of New Zealand provided free health-care to under-sixes—not all parts of New Zealand and they never have from the time the programme was introduced in 1997. But I am pleased to tell the member that the costs for under-sixes is still low. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Is the Minister concerned that the latest New Zealand Medical Association figures show that between 1998 and 2002 there has been a 13.4 percent drop in the number of general practitioners who identify general practice as their main work; and does she agree that if this trend continues the situation will deteriorate into a major crisis putting patient safety at risk? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes I would be concerned if that were the trend but maybe the member has not read the latest  
New Zealand Doctor 
 that came out today which shows a sharp increase in general practitioner trainees. In fact the number of students applying for a place in general practice training has increased sharply. That is very good news. The reason they are interested in training in general practice is the investment this Government has put into primary health care  and the emphasis we have put on this part of the health system.