8. Question No. 8—HealthDr SHANE RETI (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 8—Health8. Dr SHANE RETI (National) to the Minister of Health: How many people in the six months following the establishment of Health New Zealand waited in hospital EDs more than 24 hours under the shorter stays in emergency departments indicator and what was the longest ED wait time? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Minister of Health): In answer to the first part of the question from July 2022 to December 2022 3600 patients spent 24 hours or more in an emergency department (ED) from presentation to discharge. This does not mean those people are waiting for more than 24 hours to be seen and treated; this is 24 hours to complete all of treatment transfer or discharge. It will include patients under observation whose treatment or diagnostics will have been commenced or concluded. In answer to the second part of the question I advise that a figure on the longest time spent in an emergency department requires an audit and is not possible in the time available for an oral question. Dr Shane Reti: If 3600 people waited more than 24 hours in an emergency department why won't she bring ED targets to the forefront of her health policy instead of what she has stated?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: The member is aware from other written questions that a large number of those people who waited longer than 24 hours was at Palmerston North Hospital and I think that instance there illustrates the difference between our health policies incredibly well because whereas on that side of the House they like to set up targets and think that is the solution to every problem our Government has built 11 new beds in order to make sure that patients can be discharged from the emergency department. We will back up areas where improvement is needed with actually resources.Dr Shane Reti: Why are urgent emergency department and surgical wait-list targets not at the forefront of her policies but this year's flu vaccine target is?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: In order to address the long and unacceptable wait times in emergency departments we will need to take action on multiple fronts. That will include—as we have already done—announcing the roll-out of an influenza and COVID vaccination programme. It will include multiple actions in the community to keep people out of hospital. It will include better coordination of the flow of patients through emergency departments works in order to make sure that discharges from the hospital are freed up. All of these things need to happen and Te Whatu Ora is presenting an integrated plan to do it.Dr Shane Reti: Is the 3600 people waiting more than 24 hours in an ED department in the second half of last year double what it was in the first half of the year before Health New Zealand was created?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: There has been an increase and therefore we need to make sure that the multiple impacts of COVID on our health system are addressed in a systematic way and that is the focus of the plan Te Whatu Ora is implementing.Dr Shane Reti: Does it show how out of touch she is with emergency departments that Waikato Hospital which has worse figures than nearly half of those on her hotspot list is not even included on the list and how does she explain that to the hard-working staff at Waikato ED?Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: That's a long bow. I've spent plenty of time in my career in emergency departments and have visited three emergency departments during my time as health Minister. We continue to work to make sure that all of these departments improve their performance.Dr Shane Reti: Point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table an unpublished written parliamentary question showing the 24-hour wait time across the EDs. SPEAKER: Can you say that again? I—Dr Shane Reti: I seek leave to publish an unpublished written parliamentary question showing those waiting more than 24 hours in an emergency department.SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There is none. It may be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.