Hutchison Paul: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hutchison Paul: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1796. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua) 
: 
 It is an absolute pleasure to be speaking on the financial reviews 2010-11 because under this National Government there have been some great gains in health which unfortunately the Opposition spokesperson the Hon Maryan Street has just failed to notice. Of course the health targets are an absolutely classic example of where they are. Firstly let us have a look at the list.  
Immunisation of course has been an absolute gain of the highest order over the last 3 years. Three years ago only 70 percent of under-2-year-olds were immunised. Today 92 percent are and we have almost got 95 percent being fully immunised. That is a huge achievement in health promotion and disease prevention.  
To add to that the National Government has instituted the rheumatic fever scheme which again should have happened under the Labour Government. All it did was talk about it for 9 years but the National Government has actually instituted this programme.  
Three or 4 years ago the average wait in emergency departments in this country was over 6 hours. Today 92 percent of patients get through emergency departments in under 6 hours. District health boards like Waitemata District Health Board where under the Labour Government we heard stories of patients wallowing in the corridors for 24 to 48 hours have just recently reported that 90 to 95 percent of them get into the wards or get discharged in under 6 hours. That is another tremendous achievement.  
Let us go to the issue of radiation therapy. I vividly remember that under the Labour Government only 4 years ago cancer patients were being sent to Australia because the waits in New Zealand were 3 months 4 months 5 months and 6 months. That was absolutely shocking. Today we have the gold standard therapy whereby every radiation patient is being treated in under 4 weeks. That is another tremendous achievement under this National Government.  
We can go on. Eighty-nine percent of hospitalised smokers are given help and advice to quit.  
Hon Maryan Street 
: What about helping them before they get to hospital?  
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: That is an incredible achievement. We have Maryan Street saying that nothing has been done. This is the first Government to put in year on year significant increases in tobacco tax which we know is one of the most effective ways to diminish smoking in this country. Indeed it is working.  
But let us just have a look at some of the other achievements. Now 27000 extra people are getting elective surgery every year since the National Government came into office 4 years ago. That is another remarkable achievement.  
We do know that health systems around the world are characterised by almost infinite demand and finite resources. What we do know is that a Treasury study in 2006 showed no increase in productivity under the Labour Government in the health sector despite it increasing the vote by billions of dollars. Last night on TV we heard that over the last few years there has been an increase in productivity in the health sector by 5 percent year on year.  
Hon Phil Goff 
: That’s right. Across 2007. 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON 
: This was in anticipation of the National Government. It is great to hear that finally this is being carried on because after all we heard in 1999 in the advice to the incoming Minister of Health that the greatest gains in health would come from health promotion disease prevention and the integration of primary and secondary health. Nothing had happened under that Labour Government year on year other than spending more money. We have established some absolutely great examples in immunisation in the rheumatic fever programme—