Dyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dyson Ruth: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:669;Page:15915] 
6. 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Will he act to prevent the closure of health services in Taihape? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 As was said yesterday the Whanganui District Health Board has acted to prevent the closure of a large number of services in Taihape as a result of the trustees deciding to put the Otaihape Health Trust into liquidation. The district health board will help retain the general practice services primary maternity services day services for older people home-based support services radiology services specialist outpatient services palliative care services the mobile surgical bus and more. I am keeping in close contact with the district health board as it works to get the best possible outcome for the people of Taihape. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Why does he think it is OK to force Taihape people aged in their 80s and 90s to move out of their home in the community they have lived in for years and live somewhere else not of their choosing? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Well of course it is always a very concerning time when a provider cannot carry on and there is uncertainty. What is important is the fact that the district health board is making arrangements to support those families who may be affected but what is clear is that with the liquidation changes had to be made in Taihape and the district health board is working to do that. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Has he picked up the phone to explain to Mrs Wendy Campbell that having health services closer to home actually means in her home when she picks up her 94-year-old mother Joan and 96-year-old father Les from Ruanui House in Taihape this Saturday? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Of course no one is happy that people’s lives are disrupted in this way. But the fact is the trust has gone into liquidation and the public health service is doing its level best to make sure that we can maintain as many of those services as the trust was providing. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Does he think the community will notice “very little difference” as Simon Power the current member of Parliament claimed in a letter and is that why the people of Taihape and the district have been pleading for the Government’s help and finally protesting outside this Parliament because there has been no help from Simon Power or the Minister and they know services are being removed from their community and staff are losing their jobs? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: The real priority here is to make sure that we can secure as many services for the people of Taihape as the trust was providing. The fact is that the member opposite has been making claims about what services may or may not happen in Taihape when she says that one thing will not be provided when we know quite clearly it will be provided. So I would rather rely on what the Whanganui District Health Board is actually going to provide than what that member chooses to make up. 
Hon Ruth Dyson 
: Does he care that family members will from this Sunday have to travel for up to 2 hours each way in order to visit the older family members who have been up until now living in their own community; if he does care when will he act? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: No one wants older people having their arrangements disrupted. But the fact is the trust has gone into liquidation despite the fact that the district health board was trying to put in another $1 million worth of services and in-kind support. A number of those residents are being moved to another rest home. Some in fact are getting closer to their family members.