7. Question No. 7—HealthHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 7—Health7. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: How is the wellbeing of cancer patients in New Zealand affected by Budget 2019?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): Most if not all New Zealanders' lives will have been touched by cancer whether they've had cancer themselves or a loved one diagnosed. The Wellbeing Budget will help them avoid treat live with or recover from cancer in many many ways. First we are extending the National Bowel Screening Programme across another four district health boards (DHBs) an investment of $36 million in detecting an all too common cancer. Second the $2.8 billion uplift in funding for our DHBs will sustain the prevention screening diagnosis and cancer treatment services New Zealanders deserve. We're moving to make these services better and more consistent through our new cancer action plan. Third in Budget 2019 we've also set aside $1.7 billion in capital spending possibly the largest allocation to health capital ever and of course some of that will support better and more advanced cancer treatment. And let's not forget also the terrible mental toll a cancer diagnosis can have on people in families. The Wellbeing Budget recognises this reality through a massive expansion in access to primary mental health services.Hon Michael Woodhouse: How has the wellbeing of patients waiting on funding decisions for the more than 20 cancer drugs the subject of petitions improved given a funding cut to Pharmac when population growth is factored in?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The member knows how the Pharmac model works. In the previous financial year 331000 more patients benefited from access to medicines through the decisions of Pharmac—13 new drugs were funded and 39 drugs had broadened access. I completely understand the calls for funding of more and more drugs; of course people who are suffering and their families want access to the latest pharmaceuticals. The Prime Minister has asked me to accelerate work on early access and that is exactly what is happening. I would also note that the previous Government had nine years to consider early access and it did not. Hon Michael Woodhouse: If the wellbeing of cancer patients is such a priority why is the word cancer" hardly mentioned in the Vote Health Estimates of Appropriations and when it is mentioned it is to signal a 39 percent reduction in the cancer control appropriation on page 94? Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Because the member raised this in the Estimates hearing about page 94 I can inform him that some of that apparent drop in the figures is due to devolution to DHBs of palliative care and cancer control nursing if memory serves me correctly. But the Budget overall of course is a record Budget after a long period of underinvestment in our health services. In order to ensure that we are delivering the care that New Zealanders would expect and deserve we are putting more money into health than previously has been done. It will take more than one or two Budgets to address nine years of consistent underfunding of our health sector by the previous Government but we are getting on with it. We're making sure there are more nurses more doctors; and we're improving the buildings in which people are treated and improving the capital equipment which supports cancer care. This is a Government that is actually doing something about improving our health system rather than those nine long years of neglect.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Well what does he say to Lung Foundation chief executive Philip Hope who said "Budget 2019 is not a Wellbeing Budget but rather an instrument of more suffering financial crisis and premature death for cancer patients most in need of care and support"?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I respectfully disagree with Mr Hope."