Stewart Barbara: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Stewart Barbara: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
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BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 On behalf of New Zealand First I am pleased to participate in this debate. I listened particularly carefully to the Prime Minister’s address when she covered the health areas that her Government will progress over the coming year. I want to touch on some of those areas that are in my portfolio. 
I know that elderly New Zealanders in particular would have been really pleased to hear the promise of more major hip and knee-joint surgery. We hope they are not disappointed. New Zealand First has been very aware that many of these people have resorted to going to health-food shops to purchase natural herb products to assist them with their joint problems while they wait to see a hospital specialist or are being referred back to their general practitioners or are monitoring their ever-changing position on the hospital waiting list. We hear of people who are ranked 36th getting a letter and finding that lo and behold they are 38th and finally after getting another letter finding they are 64th on the waiting list to see a specialist. These clerical cuts or adjustments as we call them to the waiting lists belie the health problems that are suffered by many New Zealanders. This situation does not give any New Zealander much confidence in the health system at all. People start out with knee problems they quickly turn into hip problems and that is another expensive treatment. The bottom line is that we need to see some action in this area and New Zealand First will be monitoring it very closely. 
Some of the many areas that concern and worry New Zealanders were not even mentioned in the Prime Minister’s speech. The exporting of New Zealand women to Australia for cancer treatment is far from a glowing advertisement for this Government. Those women would prefer to have their treatment in New Zealand but for many that is not even an option. 
The exporting of our competent and capable health professionals to greener pastures overseas is continuing. This was also reflected in a report tabled by the Minister of Health in Parliament today. Our health professionals are highly valued and this was mentioned in the report but here in New Zealand what are we doing but exporting doctors nurses and pharmacists in higher numbers than ever before? What is that doing to progress the health system here in New Zealand? Absolutely nothing! This export affects everyone and it particularly affects the rural and small-town dwellers the hardest as they already have great trouble retaining their health professionals. The Government needs to be more proactive in keeping track of the number of doctors nurses and pharmacists who are leaving or we will wake up and find that we are in crisis mode in this vitally important area. This is a fundamental issue and action is required. 
We often hear too that the state of the nation can be determined by the state of the health of its children. The health of our children is declining. We have a higher need for dental treatment than we have had for many years and that in part can be related to the diet that many of our children have. Poverty means that the parents in many of these cases are looking for a diet that best suits their economic situation and that does not always mean that a healthy diet of fruit vegetables and meat is an option. We have many overweight children and they will create their own problems for the health system to deal with. Prevention is far better than cure. We are all aware here in this House that the children in New Zealand deserve the very best that we can give them and there is no argument on that. 
The extension of the breast-screening programme mentioned by the Prime Minister in her speech is a good start but again the age criterion needs to be reviewed. American researchers found that the age-limits need to be reviewed downwards. Australia already carries out breast-screening from the age of 40 years. This wider age range could definitely save lives by making earlier discovery of this disease and earlier treatment possible. We need to learn from the experience of these countries and take steps to save New Zealand women and their families from unnecessary tragedy. We remind the Government of the old saying: “Good is not good where better is expected.” All New Zealanders expect more from health care. It is really essential to work on the basics in the health system as the health system is absolutely fundamental.