Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4887] 
1. STEVE CHADWICK (NZ Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What recent reports has she received regarding the establishment of primary health organisations? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 I have seen many positive reports following the announcement of a further 22 primary health organisations taking the number to 34 across the country and covering over 1 million people. For example Dr Glen Davies from the newly formed Lake Taupo primary health organisation stated: “I think it’s a really positive concept to be putting more money into primary health-care.” He went on to say that the $15 consultation fee would mean that very sick patients could afford to see their doctor more often and be managed more closely which will cut down hospital visits and entries. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What are some of the improvements in primary health-care that primary health organisations will deliver? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: More patients will see their health providers more often and sooner. Already TaPasefika Health Trust one of the first primary health organisations to be established is seeing 20 percent more patients and other primary health organisations are targeting the traditionally hard-to-reach patients. For example the Health West primary health organisation is working with hospital emergency departments to follow up on the approximately 30 percent of people attending it who do not have a general practitioner. These strategies will ultimately improve the health outcomes for many people who have long endured a poor health status. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: What is her response to the comments of Tricia Briscoe of the New Zealand Medical Association that “initially increasing funding through a small number of PHOs is inequitable damaging to general practice and not in the interests of the community” and does she stand by general practitioners’ right to set fees or will she cap co-payments? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Two of those three questions can be answered. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I do not agree with Tricia Briscoe from the New Zealand Medical Association. I find it interesting that last week I launched a primary health organisation Health Rotorua—gaining the access formula—of which she is a member. 
Pita Paraone 
: Are the primary health organisations a means by which the Government will continue to cover the fact that many general practitioners are now charging in excess of $20 for the treatment of children under the age of 6 years? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Primary health organisations have been established to bring down the price of primary health-care over time for all New Zealanders starting with those with the greatest need. However in the last Budget this Government increased the payment to doctors who provide for under-sixes thereby ensuring that we keep the cost for those under-sixes as low as possible. 
Heather Roy 
: Can the Minister deny that under her new interim formula the great majority of male European superannuitants who do not have a community services card are funded at $17 a year while male Maori and Pacific Islander superannuitants on the same income are funded at over three times higher than that at $53 a year when they have exactly the same health needs? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The funding formula allows initially for those people who have the highest needs to receive the highest funding. However as we have said we will increase that funding over time. Within the next year or two we hope to ensure that all people over 65 years of age will have more affordable health-care as well as all young people under 18 years. That is a huge commitment by any Government. We have been prepared to put $400 million in this year and in the next 2 years to make sure that it happens. 
Sue Kedgley 
: How many of the 22 primary health organisations that have been established include a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals such as pharmacists and complementary health practitioners as was promised when primary health organisations were established? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: All primary health organisations have doctors and nurses as their core health professionals. Some of those primary health organisations have included other health professionals. It is the aim to ensure that over time more are included. However those health professionals must be prepared to be part of a primary health organisation. I know that all of them are working with other health providers to ensure that they include them over time. 
Judy Turner 
: Is the Minister concerned at recent comments pertaining to primary health organisations directing general practitioners to set time limits of 9 minutes for each consultation and alleging that general practitioners are poaching patients from private practices; if not why not? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: That comment was made by the Leader of the Opposition in January about TaPasefika Health Trust a primary health organisation in south Auckland. It was subsequently denied by the people of that trust who said it was not true. It is interesting to see that the recent  
New Zealand Doctor 
 magazine did a survey of doctors who said that they have very little fear that there would be 6-minute medicine in New Zealand.