Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:673;Page:19594] 
9. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Has sufficient funding been allocated in Vote Health to meet the increasing costs facing organisations working in the health sector? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 There are 40000-plus contracts funded by the Ministry of Health and the district health boards. These include telecommunications building medical supplies and health services. Each faces different cost pressures. However I do know that Vote Health has once again been the recipient of the biggest amount of new money from the Budget. That money is flowing through the Ministry of Health and the district health boards to other providers that they contract with. 
Grant Robertson 
: Given previous answers by the Minister last week can he confirm that the funding allocated in Budget 2011 to the district health boards does not meet inflation costs in the health sector? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: It is too early to give a definitive answer to that question because the district health boards will receive additional funding through the year related to various projects and contracts. 
Grant Robertson 
: Has he read the article in the  
Bay of Plenty Times 
 under the headline “Health services on the brink” which shows that agencies such as Arthritis New Zealand are unable to provide services in his own community? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Yes I did read those articles in the  
Bay of Plenty Times 
. If the member really wanted to give the full story he would draw attention to the fact that the Bay of Plenty District Health Board does not support the service he was quoting from. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is he aware that the cost pressure funding provided in the Budget is insufficient such that mental health and addiction providers in the Northland Auckland and Waitemata district health boards have been told that they will get no funding at all to meet greatly increased service costs? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Cost pressures vary across providers. The district health boards and the ministry are doing their level best in order to support services in these very difficult economic times. What we do know is that $585 million was made available in this year’s Budget. 
Grant Robertson 
: What is his response to the Access Homehealth chief executive Graham Titcombe who said that its funding is not enough to meet inflation and that carers were leaving their jobs because they could not afford petrol costs? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: My response is that many providers in the health sector under both Governments have said they never get enough money. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table a letter signed by the chief executives of the Northland Waitemata Auckland and Counties Manukau district health boards dated 10 June which says that cost pressure funding is insufficient to be able to provide any increase in funding for the mental health and addiction non-governmental organisations. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.