Pettis Jill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Pettis Jill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:635;Page:6578] 
4.  
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What investment is the Government making in health services in Wanganui? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) 
: 
 This Labour-led Government is investing around $30 million to provide Wanganui with a world-class public hospital. We have granted approval so construction can begin as soon as the district health board is ready. This is the latest chapter in the Labour-led Government’s historic public hospital building programme. 
Jill Pettis 
: What reports has the Minister received on local action on health issues in Wanganui? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I received a report late last week that the local National member was “requesting information and asking questions to keep the health issues in front of me”. In fact that member has not lodged a written question on health in 3 months. I have also received reports of that member saying that the Government should “just stump up”. That is an interesting proposition from a party that was prepared to deny funding to the health sector in order to pay for reckless tax cuts. 
Chester Borrows 
: If the Minister wants to score points for funding core health business in Wanganui will he accept the blame for the appalling Government performance in respect of Wanganui’s home-care services ambulance services paediatric and obstetric services recruiting acquired brain injury care funding for aged-care and hospice services and accident and emergency department which is so under-resourced that it took 22 hours to admit an elderly woman who had presented after a fall—or is that all someone else’s fault? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member is terribly confused. That member stood on the hustings just over a year ago—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. Courtesy was shown to Mr Borrows when he asked his question; courtesy will be shown to the Minister when he replies so that we can hear. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member cannot have it both ways. Money can be spent but once around this place and it cannot be spent on health and tax cuts at the same time. I advise the member with pride that the average level of funding per capita for Wanganui not only has increased above inflation every year that this Government has been in office but is 22 percent higher than it is for the rest of the country. 
Barbara Stewart 
: What is the Minister’s ministry doing to ensure that workforce shortages will not render the new hospital ineffective given that the Whanganui District Health Board is currently short of its required medical staff? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member raises a good question particularly in relation to paediatrics and obstetrics which are two services currently under review in Wanganui. Completion of these reviews and the development of a long-term solution for both of them are among the conditions the district health board must satisfy to receive final approval for the hospital redevelopment project. 
Tariana Turia 
: How can the Whanganui District Health Board attract obstetricians and how can midwives be retained when the new maternity facility will have only three delivery rooms as opposed to the current six and eight antenatal and post-natal beds compared with the current 18? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I think the member should reflect on the fact that not only has the funding been given now so that the shell of the building can be begun but the reviews which are not yet completed set out to determine what the future look of maternity and paediatric services will be—that is to say the internal design is not yet complete.