Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Scott Lynda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3863] 
11.  
Dr LYNDA SCOTT (NZ National—Kaikoura) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Why have district health boards recorded a combined deficit of $64 million in the last three months up $17.2 million from the quarter before and is this causing cuts to patient care? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
  
on behalf of the  
Minister of Health 
: The district health boards’ actual hospital deficits of $60 million for the December quarter mean that they are within $5 million of plan—0.1 percent of the annual budget—for the 6 months to 31 December. Financing of those deficits has been agreed with the Government and they are therefore not causing cuts to patient care.  
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Why did the Hon Michael Cullen state in the Budget speech that he would tolerate a deficit of only $80 million for the 2002-03 financial year when the deficit has exceeded that in the last 6 months alone coming in at $101.6 million and is that not clear evidence that district health boards are failing financially and failing patients? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No the district health boards are on target for the estimated deficit of $188 million for the current year which is less than last year and less indeed than in 1996-97. 
Steve Chadwick 
: Has Government revenue decreased for district health boards and therefore reduced their ability to provide services? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: No they have gone up $337 million. The Statistics New Zealand report made two major errors and that is now a matter for discussion with health officials so that Statistics New Zealand can understand the nature of health funding. Firstly it reported Government revenue. What it actually reported was the provider funding from the district health boards to the hospitals—a quite different form of funding. Secondly it missed the deficit support funding provided by Government and reported only one of the revenue streams. 
Heather Roy 
: How can we take her assurances to the public of New Zealand seriously when Orthopaedic Association president Professor Geoffrey Horne has publicly stated that it was deceptive and dishonest of district health boards and Health Minister Annette King to claim that they were reducing waiting lists when in fact they were manipulating figures; and why does she not admit that the switch to 21 district health boards has not improved patient care one little bit? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: In fact waiting lists have come down. At this time of the year I notice a tendency for people in the quasi - public sector to often make claims about underfunding. I have a suspicion that the Minister of Finance may be correct in believing that it has something to do with the fact that the Budget round occurs at about this time of year. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Given that long-term debt and liabilities in the health sector topped a billion dollars in December and the projections for long-term spending show worrying upward trends why is the Government investing a miserable 2 percent of the health budget in preventive public health measures that would reduce the underlying causes of illness and result in fewer of us ending up in our hospitals? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: In the light of that we should now agree to remove some of the committees she put into the legislation so that we could direct that money into public health and preventive funding.  
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree that a potential solution to funding difficulties would be to allow and possibly encourage contracting out to both private and public health providers; if not why not? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: There is no evidence expressed from overseas that contracting out to private providers actually saves the State any money at all. But of course a range of providers is used with Government funding in New Zealand at the present time. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Is the financial crisis that district health boards are facing the cause of Grey Power New Plymouth saying: “The public health system is failing the elderly …. [who need] hip and knee replacements” of thousands of patients being sent back to their general practitioners as they are dumped off the waiting list and of cardiac waiting lists skyrocketing as patients die; if not what is causing the health cuts? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Every one of those statements except the actual quotation is incorrect. Increased funding has been provided to a very very substantial extent and the projected deficit for this year which we are on target for is substantially lower than the peak achieved under the previous National Government in 1996-97. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table the  
Daily News 
 from today which states: “The public health system is failing elderly Taranaki people”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that? There is. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table an article from the  
Southland Times 
 headed: “Cost cuts killing patients: surgeon”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection? There is.