4. Question No. 4—HealthHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 4—Health4. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: How many of the 100 measures of the five reported health targets in the 2018/19 Quarter Three Health Target data file recently loaded on the Ministry of Health web page entitled How is my DHB performing?" show an improvement on the equivalent measure for quarter one 2017/18 and how many show a reduction in performance?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): For context I note that the measures do not cover mental health primary care acute surgery workforce issues or the state of our hospitals all of which are long-term challenges we've inherited. The premise of the member's question is in fact incorrect as only 99 measures were loaded—as the member may know since the information has been publicly available for several weeks. None the less I am advised that the answer to the first leg of his question is 27 and the answer to the second leg is 61. The remainder are unchanged.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Does he believe that the fact that 17 of 20 DHBs have poorer immunisation rates than they had when he became Minister is linked to the serious measles outbreak currently being experienced?SPEAKER: Or vice versa possibly yes.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Obviously questions on immunisation are best directed to the Associate Minister of Health who has responsibility for that portfolio. I will speak to the targets question though. It is true that our immunisation rates as a country have remained stubbornly around the 90 percent mark since the previous Government introduced a target of 95 percent. It has never been achieved unfortunately. We do need to immunise more children and I want to congratulate the Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter who has recognised that targets don't immunise children; health professionals do. She's put more nurses and other health professionals on the ground in South Auckland to do just that.Hon Michael Woodhouse: In light of that answer is he not then accepting that fewer health professionals are immunising children than when he came to office?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: What I would note is that as a result of the targeted measles mumps and rubella vaccine campaign that is being run over the period of February to July this year I'm advised that more than 20000 more immunisations were dished out than in the same period last year. There is much more work to do in this area. There are big challenges and unfortunately some people will not accept the science. But I would encourage everybody who is able to get immunised to get immunised for the sake of those vulnerable people around them and because it is the right thing to do.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Does he believe that the fact that 13 of 20 DHBs have poorer performance against the faster cancer treatment target since he became Minister is connected to the lack of a cancer plan on his watch?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: No. What I know is that we do need to do better of course in cancer care and I do look forward to putting out a comprehensive plan. There are of course factors that have played into that including workforce issues. Our plan will cover the whole spectrum of cancer care including prevention screening treatment and palliative care. It will be a well-thought-through plan that has been worked through with the sector.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Is the reason the Government no longer bothers to report the elective surgery measure in the "How is my DHB Performing?" reports a sign that they've given up trying to match the previous Government's excellent record on elective surgery?SPEAKER: Order! I will allow the question but only just. The expression of opinion in the tail end of the question should've ruled it out.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Yeah Mr Speaker that's right. That does border on irony.SPEAKER: Order! And the member doesn't comment on my rulings.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Thank you Mr Speaker. I would note that under this Government there has been more acute surgery and there have been more non-admitted procedures. So more people are getting treatment where it is more appropriate for them more convenient for them and indeed more cost-effective. We're determined to do better with taxpayer resources than the previous Government.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Doesn't the latest data show that in the absence of clear targets performance in key measures of Kiwis' health is going backwards at an alarming rate? Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Absolutely not—absolutely not. Despite nine years of neglect and under-funding by the previous Government we are determined to tackle the long-term challenges we have inherited. As I noted for the member we are focused on mental health: rolling out a programme of free front-line care for 325000 New Zealanders by year five making sure that people with mild to moderate mental health needs can see a person to support them when they need it. We are the first Government that has really taken mental health seriously. We've invested in primary care making sure that 600000 New Zealanders now have cheaper doctors' visits—for many of them $20 to $30 cheaper. We're tackling the capital issue because in our last Budget we put aside $1.7 billion in capital for our health system; by contrast the previous Government put aside less than that in the whole nine years they were in office. We're tackling the workforce issues—SPEAKER: Order! Question No. 5."