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: 08 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6447. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
KEVIN HAGUE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Does he regard the input and engagement of clinicians and the public to be critical to the achievement of his targets for DHB performance? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Yes clinical leadership and engagement are fundamental to improving patient outcomes and achieving the Government’s six national health targets. For example with our more heart and diabetes checks target the ministry is supported by a clinical improvement group headed by Dr Paul Drury of Auckland and including eminent people such as Professor Jim Mann of Dunedin and we thank them for their contribution. 
Kevin Hague 
: What instructions or views has he expressed to anyone from the Southern District Health Board the Ministry of Health or the National Health Board concerning the disciplinary action being taken against Dr John Chambers an eminent emergency medicine specialist at Dunedin Hospital for publicly expressing a dissenting professional view about how best to achieve his target for emergency department waiting times? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I am aware of those matters. The chairman of the board Mr Butterfield has raised those with me and I have said to them that that is really a matter that they as a board have to deal with. 
Kevin Hague 
: Why has he used his influence to pressure the Southern District Health Board to take disciplinary action against Dr Chambers through his direct interaction with National Health Board chief adviser Yvonne Bruorton? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I wonder whether the member could repeat his question? 
Kevin Hague 
: Certainly. Why has he used his influence to pressure the Southern District Health Board to take disciplinary action against Dr Chambers through his direct interaction with National Health Board chief adviser Yvonne Bruorton? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I do not know what the member is talking about. What I have to say is that I have had an opportunity to discuss that with the chairman have made it clear to him that it is a responsibility for the board but have also made it clear to them that there are major issues in that emergency department that do need to be dealt with. 
Kevin Hague 
: Is he prepared in light of that answer to say publicly now to the Southern District Health Board the Ministry of Health and the National Health Board that any instruction concerning Dr Chambers that they have inferred from his comments should be disregarded? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: All employment matters are the responsibility of the district health board. I would certainly not want anyone to ignore any views that I have given about the importance of improving the emergency department performance in Dunedin but I do not think the member is really on the right track if he is suggesting that I have told everyone what they should be doing on their employment relations. 
Kevin Hague 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The supplementary question gave the Minister the opportunity to let those entities know that they ought to disregard any inferred instruction if indeed they had perceived one. The Minister has not really addressed that in his remarks. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: But he has disputed that he made comments that could be inferred that way and I cannot ask him to answer it differently. That is the way he has answered the question and I do not think I can ask him to answer it in a different manner. 
Kevin Hague 
: I seek leave to table a portion of the Cabinet Manual relating to Ministers— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No no. Order! We do not table bits of the Cabinet Manual.