4. Health Services—Policies and OutcomesHon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Policies and Outcomes4. Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) to the Minister of Health: What measurable health outcomes if any will his policies deliver?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): This Government is committed to improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders. This will happen in many different areas. There are too many examples to list. However to pick just one more people will be able to access primary healthcare services.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: How is he expecting to deliver on his promised increase in elective surgeries when he said at question time on Tuesday that he won't commit to a specific target?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: We will not be including in our statistics things like Avastin injections and skin lesion removals which the previous Government did. We will be building capacity over time and we will of course be mindful of the backlog that has been generated by the previous Government.Dr Shane Reti: When he said at question time on Tuesday that more people would be able to access affordable primary healthcare what specific health outcomes will that access deliver?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: We know that when people can access primary care we have more prevention in the system and that lowers their personal experience of sickness but also lowers cost in the health system.Dr Shane Reti: What assurances can he give that by 1 July next year he will deliver GP visits that will cost the patient no more than $2 and $8 within the $250 million he promised in Labour's election policy?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: That member refers to specific aspects of our policy as announced and we intend to deliver on it.Louisa Wall: What recent advice has the Minister received about New Zealand adults' ability to access primary care?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I regret to advise the House that this is not good news. A report I've received today shows that there has been no improvement in the cost of accessing primary care. The New Zealand Health Survey has told us that over half a million Kiwis last year could not access primary healthcare for reasons of cost.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister was quoting from an official document so I ask him to table it.Mr SPEAKER: No he did not indicate that he was quoting from an official document at all.Chlöe Swarbrick: What specific plans does he have to deliver better mental health services for New Zealanders?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Our immediate plan is to ensure that a ministerial inquiry into mental health is initiated in the first 100 days of this Government. This was an important area of engagement in the formation of this Government and I thank her party and the New Zealand First Party for their support in this area.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: Which district health boards will the bowel-screening programme be rolled out to in 2018 and what changes is he proposing to the roll-out given Labour's previous criticisms?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I am glad the member has raised that. I have been advised in recent days that the programme as laid out by the previous Government is unlikely to be able to be delivered. They were suggesting a programme of delivery for bowel screening that they were unable to deliver themselves. This is shocking news. I think New Zealanders will be disgusted to learn that they were promising something that looks very difficult to deliver on. I intend to review this matter very closely. I am surprised that that member is raising it here because he is the one that introduced that programme and has been saying with great confidence in the past that it could be delivered without any problems whatsoever.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: Given the Minister's last answer why is medicinal cannabis in the top two of his overall top health priorities as listed in Labour's 100-day plan and what guarantee will he give that medicinal cannabis legislation will be introduced to the House before 3 February 2018?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: On the first point I think the member will know very well that there are a number of nasty surprises in the health portfolio that have resulted from 9 years of neglect under the former Government's watch.Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. A very specific question—he made no attempt to answer it.Mr SPEAKER: The member had made a mistake of putting a preface into it and the preface was answered.Chlöe Swarbrick: Will the mental health inquiry previously mentioned address young people's access to mental health services.Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Yes this inquiry will be wide ranging and will cover the areas the member has raised. I look forward to working with her and her party in this area.