5. Question No. 5—HealthANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 5—Health5. ANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour) to the Minister of Health: What progress is being made rolling out the National Bowel Screening Programme?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): More good news: this week Whanganui DHB became the ninth DHB to join the National Bowel Screening Programme. Over the next two years 12000 people in the Whanganui region aged 60 to 74 years will be invited to take part in bowel screening. It's expected that about 25 cases of bowel cancer will be found and it's very likely that these will be found early enough to ensure the treatment these people receive is as effective as possible. People who are diagnosed with early-stage bowel cancer and who receive treatment early have a 90 percent chance of long-term survival.Angie Warren-Clark: How has the bowel screening programme improved the wellbeing of New Zealanders?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Since it started just a couple of years ago the National Bowel Screening Programme has screened around 180000 people. It has detected nearly 400 cancers and it has led to the removal of hundreds of pre-cancerous polyps. As I said a few moments ago Whanganui is the ninth DHB to join the National Bowel Screening Programme. MidCentral DHB is expected to join the programme next month which will mean 10 out of the country's 20 DHBs will be offering free bowel screening to just under half the total eligible population. The nationwide roll-out of the National Bowel Screening Programme is expected to be completed in 2021.Angie Warren-Clark: How does the National Bowel Screening Programme fit with the Government's wider plan for improving New Zealanders' health?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Prevention and early detection of cancer through screening programmes is an important part of the Government's comprehensive Cancer Action Plan announced last month. At the same time we've funded more cancer medicines and we're purchasing 12 new linear accelerators which deliver radiation treatment. Importantly the Cancer Action Plan delivers on our promise to re-establish a cancer control agency. The agency will provide the strong national leadership and coordination of the cancer care sector which was lost when the previous Government canned—SPEAKER: Order! That's—Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: —Cancer Control New Zealand.SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. Hon Michael Woodhouse: Can he give the people of Whanganui an assurance that there will be sufficient resources to follow up on those screenings given that the general surgery department is already overstretched and the DHB itself is in significant financial stress?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The Government did inherit a number of long-term challenges in health which the previous Government failed to address. One of the biggest which the member highlights is a shortage of key health professionals. That resulted from the previous Government's failure to fund the health sector properly. This Government is rebuilding our health services by funding DHBs better and giving them the means to better train retain and recruit key staff. We can't undo nine years of neglect in one or two Budgets but we're getting on with it and we're making good progress. Hon Michael Woodhouse: That being the case why are things getting worse on his watch not better?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: They're not.