Yang Jian: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeYang Jian: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 30 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:12083. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr JIAN YANG (National):According to the OECD Better Life index when asked “How is your health in general?” 89 percent of the people in New Zealand reported being in good health. This is much higher than the OECD average of 69 percent. This report states: “Despite the subjective nature of this question answers have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use.”The finding is not surprising at all. The fact is that while many developed countries around the world are freezing or even reducing health funding National is investing an average of $500 million extra each year in public health services. We are spending $14.7 billion on health in Budget 2013 the most ever. We are making each dollar go further delivering 1000 more doctors and 2000 more nurses with 1000 fewer back-office staff. National has had 4 years of record increases in elective surgery with 35000 more patients a year getting elective treatment than under Labour. Patients who need radiation or chemotherapy treatment begin treatment within 4 weeks. Just last week I visited a former colleague who is recovering from her cancer treatment. She said she had received treatment without any delay.Also more cardiac services are being provided today—faster—and Wellington Regional Hospital is not having people die while on cardiac lists as it did under Labour in 2007. Other achievements under National include that 94 percent of emergency department patients are seen within the 6-hour target. In 2009 many district health boards were seeing less than 70 percent of patients. Eighty-nine percent of 8-month-olds are fully immunised—on track for 95 percent by 2017. Under Labour in 2007 just 67 percent of 2-year-olds were fully immunised.Also the National-led Government is committed to ensuring that New Zealand children get the best start for school and is investing an extra $7 million in the B4 School Check programme so that even more children receive these important checks. A record 52000 4-year-old children had a free B4 School Check last financial year. For the first time we have reached a target of 80 percent of 4-year-old children being offered a check before they start school. This is a significant improvement from a few years ago when only around half of 4-year-old children had received B4 School Checks.This year’s Budget includes a significant boost to funding in the areas of heart disease obesity and diabetes with a strong focus on prevention. There is $35 million for more heart and diabetes checks improved local diabetes care improvement programmes and doubling of the funding for Green Prescriptions. The Government also continues to invest in expanding medical school places. Since National became the Government we have lifted the annual intake from 365 students to 505 students.In this year’s Budget we continue to protect and grow public health services. Prudent management of the health budget has allowed the Government to invest in more new initiatives and the changing needs of our population. I would like to take thisopportunity to congratulate and to thank our most capable Minister of Health the Hon Tony Ryall. Thank you.Vote agreed to.