Hague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hague Kevin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 28 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:8334. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
KEVIN HAGUE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Is he satisfied with District Health Boards’ performance against his targets for the health sector? 
Hon JO GOODHEW (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Health: Overall yes but we can always do better. 
Kevin Hague 
: Why has he not made unexpected readmissions a national health target when these are internationally recognised as the standard measure of overall hospital service performance? 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: Under the previous Government there was a plethora of targets. This Government has chosen to have just six targets and those six targets are for the concentration of district health boards and are reported on. So instead of some 42 targets under the previous Government we have narrowed down the targets and we believe that those six targets represent a start. However the member raises a good point because there are always other things we can be working on and pathways and integrating care certainly go to the heart of the suggestion that the member has made. 
Kevin Hague 
: I seek leave to table a graph showing readmission rates rising sharply. The graph is actually from the Ministry of Health but it is sourced here from a document from the Association of— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will allow leave to be put. Is there any objection to that graph being tabled? There is not. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Kevin Hague 
: What evidence does he have for his assertion that senior doctors are wrong when they say that part of the reason that unexpected hospital readmission rates are increasing is that New Zealand has the second-highest rate of emigration by medical specialists? 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: What I am able to answer on behalf of the Minister is that we now have 1000 more doctors working in our hospitals around New Zealand. I believe that the member is quoting from an Association of Salaried Medical Specialists report that has been released quite recently—timed to coincide with its negotiations over salaries. 
Kevin Hague 
: I seek leave to table data that shows that only 141 more senior medical specialists— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The source of that document? 
Kevin Hague 
: It is from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists report that the Associate Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Kevin Hague 
: I seek leave to table research showing New Zealand needs an additional 285 senior medical officers. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And the source of the document? 
Kevin Hague 
: It is from that same document. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: How many more documents are you seeking to table from the same document? 
Kevin Hague 
: That would be it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That would be it? Let us put leave. Leave is sought to table that document. There is objection. 
Kevin Hague 
: Is the Minister not concerned that unexpected hospital readmission rates are increasing especially for Maori and Pasifika people because money and resources are instead going to the areas that he has incentivised through his narrow health targets? 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: I actually refute the member’s assertion when district health board increases in funding are across the board under this Government and when there has been a priority to put additional funding into health and primary care in terms of children getting free visits after hours and children getting free visits to their doctors. I could actually provide for the member a huge list of additional funding to address health care issues. 
Kevin Hague 
: I seek leave to table the findings of a new study published in the  
International Journal of Quality in Health Care 
 that Maori had 16 percent higher odds of readmission or death compared with European New Zealanders. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that new research document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. 









Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.